An employee who was fired for sending an anti-Muslim email at work has been awarded almost $29,000 in compensation, after the Fair Work Commission found his termination was harsh and unreasonable.
An employer that failed to conduct "frank and transparent" performance reviews, or promptly deal with behavioural issues, gave up its right to summarily dismiss two workers for bullying, the FWC has ruled.
An HR manager who breached the confidentiality requirements of her own bullying complaint has lost her adverse action case in the Federal Circuit Court.
A case in which an HR manager was sacked for sharing her employer's policies and documents raises some questions about investigations and surveillance in the workplace, according to DLA Piper partner Brett Feltham.
A worker's repeated refusals to follow dispute resolution procedures when complaining about bullying amounted to "rank insubordination", and warranted his dismissal, the Fair Work Commission has ruled.
In a case fought over the use of double standards, a commission has found the ultimate sacking of one employee was too harsh, because another had not been dismissed despite displaying arguably worse behaviour.
Employers are occasionally tempted to "get tricky" with the Fair Work Act's support person provisions, but a workplace lawyer warns that cutting corners in an attempt to expedite disciplinary matters can come back to bite them.
Employers and HR professionals should ensure their social-media policies and training clearly cover use of digital photography, with photo-sharing apps creating a host of new bullying, harassment and other risks to manage, according to Holding Redlich senior associate Joel Zyngier.
Employers that have permitted a culture of inappropriate emails and other poor behaviour can't simply pick and choose when they will discipline workers for misconduct, a Fair Work Commissioner has ruled.
An employer was right to sack a worker for making racist comments on a public two-way radio, despite the fact he had worked at the company for more than three decades and was under personal duress at the time, the Fair Work Commission has found.
Recent events have shone a spotlight on whistleblowing, placing employers firmly on notice that their response to a protected disclosure could be subject to intense scrutiny. Watch this webcast to understand the role HR plays in this challenging space.
After years of legislative and regulatory changes, employers' key compliance challenges continue to shift and evolve. Attend this webinar to catch up on recent developments and their HR implications, preparing you and your organisation for what lies ahead.
