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An employer dismissed a manager for regularly leaving work early, without giving him an opportunity to explain his absences, the Fair Work Commission has found.

In unfair dismissal proceedings, the Commission heard that around late 2022, the Nick Scali showroom manager took on responsibility for two extra furniture stores, one of which was located about three hours away from his existing Canberra showroom.

The employer subsequently offered him a state regional manager role, and he signed a contract that stated the new role would begin when a replacement showroom manager took over his Canberra store.

The replacement began working in the Canberra store in November last year while the manager was overseas due to a family illness, however when he returned, the employer told him not to work and asked him to attend a meeting with senior managers.

In that meeting, the manager heard he had failed to properly organise salary and relocation issues for two workers before he took leave, which caused "unnecessary confusion" and head office had to step in...