An employer has been cleared of unfair dismissal after making a pregnant worker's role redundant, causing her to lose her work visa. Also in this article: new rulings on mandatory vaccinations, workplace investigations, casual employees, and more.
The Fair Work Commission has rejected a bid by unions to include paid pandemic leave in more modern awards. Meanwhile, an employee has won compensation after falsely being sacked due a lack of work.
An employer's "very difficult financial position" has not convinced the Fair Work Commission an employee should be denied redundancy pay. Also in this article, Uber Eats' settlement leaves gig work in a "grey zone" as more legal challenges loom.
An employee has won maximum compensation for unfair dismissal after the Fair Work Commission found an HR "cowboy" failed to genuinely consult her during a redundancy process.
Unfair dismissal rulings from 2020 hold many lessons for employers for the year ahead, not least among which is the importance of shoring up genuine redundancy defences, lawyers say.
The High Court has refused to hear an employer's redundancy-exception appeal, while unions are calling for the "loophole" to be closed. Also in this article, government guides for mentally healthier workplaces; new research on underpayments; and more.
HR's challenges around remote and flexible working will continue to develop in 2021, while compliance is an area that "will come back with a vengeance", an employment lawyer says.
A recruitment company used a stand-down direction to force a state manager to resign, so it could avoid paying her contractual entitlement to three months' notice, the Fair Work Commission has ruled.
An employer has failed to argue it "broadly complied" with redundancy consultation obligations, with the Fair Work Commission saying the steps it took could "never constitute meaningful consultation".
A redeployment offer that added nearly two hours to an employee's daily commute was reasonable, the Fair Work Commission has ruled in reducing his redundancy pay. Also in this article: a roundup of recent dismissal cases; and other compliance developments.
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.
