An employer needn't wait for a potential crisis to materialise before taking action to protect its business, the Fair Work Commission has ruled, in accepting a redundancy prompted by early COVID-19 concerns was genuine.
A tribunal full bench has criticised a judge for failing to consider the domestic abuse implications of reinstating an employee who was sacked for stalking a colleague.
The industrial relations reform agenda outlined by the Federal Government "offers a lot of promise" if its unprecedented approach actually delivers outcomes, says a workplace lawyer.
The Fair Work Commission, in assessing what constitutes a stoppage of work and useful employment when standing down employees, has rejected a worker's claim that he shouldn't have been stood down because his role was still being performed.
A Fair Work Commission full bench has rejected another jurisdictional challenge by Qantas regarding a JobKeeper underpayment dispute. Meanwhile the Commission has reduced an employer's redundancy obligation to nil, accepting it had no capacity to pay.
An employer and individuals have been fined nearly $1m for underpaying workers; a bullied employee who was 'managed out' has been awarded $615k; Coles is facing a $150 million class action; and more.
Impacts of the Rossato v WorkPac case are likely to include both a loss of flexibility for employers if more casuals convert to permanency, and also a rise in the irregularity and unpredictability of work for those who don't, experts say.
General protections claims are the fastest-growing category of applications in the Fair Work Commission, with reforms now underway to stem the tide. This webinar will discuss important developments in both procedural issues and case law.
