An employee who was "clearly" frustrated about his delayed return to work after an injury deserved to be dismissed for his derogatory comments to an HR manager, the Fair Work Commission has ruled.
A "massive paradigm shift" is underway in employment as cost-conscious organisations opt for contracting over permanent headcount, a workforce strategy specialist says.
An employer and its two directors have been ordered to pay a worker more than $142k in penalties and unpaid wages, with the Federal Circuit Court labelling them "captains on what was a very poorly crewed vessel". In related news, another employer must pay a worker $78k.
An employee suffered a psychiatric injury as a result of a 15-minute "catch up" meeting, but while the manager's approach wasn't "perfect", it was not unreasonable, a commission has ruled.
Coles has failed on appeal to convince a court that it should not have to bear the costs of defending claims brought against it by a labour hire workers.
Most of employers' early confusion surrounding JobKeeper has been resolved, but recent rulings indicate a lack of understanding about what constitutes fairness during restructuring and workplace changes, an employment lawyer says.
A JobKeeper-enabling stand down that applied only to one worker, who had recently requested to work only from home, was unfair, the Fair Work Commission has found.
An employee accused of spreading rumours about her boss has successfully argued she was constructively dismissed following a "humiliating" investigation process.
A spike in employee disputes in the coming months is "inevitable", but a specialist says many are avoidable if employers use proactive mediation before deciding on workplace changes.
An employee's bid for interim orders restraining her employer from disciplining or dismissing her until her stop-bullying application is finalised has been rejected on appeal.
All employers should consider putting in place a workplace s-xual harassment prevention plan, even though such plans are only expressly prescribed in one jurisdiction, according to a risk management expert.
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.
