A Fair Work Commission member was wrong to dismiss a stop-bullying application based on the assumption that an employee who was absent and unfit for duties faced no continuing risk of bullying, a full bench has ruled.
In upholding an employee's appeal, a full bench of the Fair Work Commission has declined to determine whether someone can be considered "at work" and at risk of bullying while they're unfit for duties.
Costly legal disputes continue to highlight the many risks employers face when managing, disciplining, or dismissing employees while they are absent, injured or incapacitated. Watch this HR Daily Premium webcast for an up-to-date review of the legal framework and key rulings.
It would be "much simpler" to consider abandonment of employment as falling within the definition of dismissal under the Fair Work Act, instead of applying the "complicated contractual concept of renunciation", according to a Fair Work Commission member.
An employee has won compensation for unfair dismissal, after the Fair Work Commission found he was warned about failing to provide notice of his absences, but not more broadly about his attendance issues.
An employee who couldn't return to her role after a traumatic workplace incident has failed to convince the Fair Work Commission her dismissal was unfair.
It was "unfortunate" that an employee was misled about the medical evidence she needed to provide to return to work after a long absence, but this didn't justify her objections to attending an independent medical examination, a commission has ruled.
An employer that failed to take any steps to review its procedures after a court found it engaged in unlawful adverse action has been ordered to pay an employee $30k in compensation and penalties.
Workplace bullying complaints continue to pose significant challenges for employers, including where the behaviour doesn't meet the legal definition of bullying or the threshold to make a claim. Watch this HR Daily Premium webcast to understand key lessons from cases where bullying complaints interact with other claims and issues.
What constitutes "best practice" when managing neurodiversity at work is evolving all the time. Watch this HR Daily Premium webcast to learn how to embed neuroinclusive practices into HR programs and every stage of the employment lifecycle.
