The Fair Work Commission has found an employer wasn't entitled to dismiss a worker who posted a "crude and immature" Facebook comment during work time, noting that offensive language is "increasingly part of the common vernacular". In other news, research shows employers should encourage personal networking despite the risks; a leadership program aims to boost C-Suite diversity; and more.
A YouTube video that highlighted an employee's "flippant" regard for his work duties had the potential to damage his employer's reputation, and warranted dismissal, the Fair Work Commission has found.
An employee who was sacked with five minutes' notice has been awarded more than $27k by the Fair Work Commission after it found that, in a profane workplace, telling a manager to "get f-cked" did not warrant summary dismissal.
Mediation following s-xual harassment complaints might be necessary to ensure employees understand appropriate behaviour and communication in the workplace, but it can be risky to force parties to be involved, an investigations specialist warns.
It was unfair of an employer to end a worker's contract after a minor incident, despite his earlier "absolute final warning" for accusing an HR manager of killing his colleague.
An employee who was described as not the "archetypal victim of s-xual harassment" has been awarded $150k in damages, after a tribunal found he was humiliated and suffered psychological injuries when he had to clean up a staged "s-x romp".
The Fair Work Commission has ordered two employers to compensate employees they sacked for serious misconduct after conducting flawed investigations, and has found another two employers fairly dismissed employees for aggressive behaviour.
A ruling that an employer unfairly sacked a worker for tagging colleagues in s-xually explicit material online highlights one of the complex HR hot spots employers are likely to face this year.
Some employers have successfully stepped up to the task of managing psychosocial safety, but in many other workplaces, initiatives are falling flat. Join us for an HR Daily webinar to understand what's holding back progress in this critical space and how to move forward.
