Employees' right to disconnect doesn't extend to Fair Work Commission proceedings, a Deputy President has stated in rejecting an employer's request for more time to prepare its defence to an unfair dismissal claim.
A Commissioner failed to properly consider whether an employee had breached a code of conduct when he found she had been unfairly dismissed, a full bench of the Fair Work Commission has ruled in an appeal against her reinstatement.
Dismissing an employee for her "deliberate defiance" of an acknowledged direction was unreasonable, the Fair Work Commission has ruled, because she wasn't specifically warned her job was at risk if the behaviour continued.
In rejecting an employee's appeal over his failed unfair dismissal claim, the Fair Work Commission has reinforced that it does not have to make general enquiries into workplace conduct or culture to conduct a fair hearing.
An important High Court challenge regarding the scope of employers' redeployment obligations during restructures will be a key case to watch in the coming year, lawyers say.
A Fair Work Commission member was entitled to find an employer "misheard" a worker resign after a heated workplace argument, and her award of maximum compensation should stand, a full bench has ruled.
Employers are increasingly consulting psychologists ahead of terminations with a view to preventing psychosocial harm during the process, and it can "absolutely" work, according to a safety specialist.
In finding today that the risk of an employee's psychiatric injury was a "serious possibility" after his botched dismissal process, the High Court has nonetheless determined not to rule on whether employers' duty of care extends to disciplinary and termination events.
The High Court has restored a $1.44 million damages award to an employee who had a "catastrophic" reaction to his misconduct dismissal, with the majority ruling that when the employer didn't follow its disciplinary policy, it breached the worker's contract.
Costly legal disputes continue to highlight the many risks employers face when managing, disciplining, or dismissing employees while they are absent, injured or incapacitated. Attend this webinar for an up-to-date review of the legal framework applying to workplace absenteeism, injury and incapacity, and lessons from recent case law.
