An employer effectively stood down a worker when it ignored her requests to return after lockdowns lifted, and has to compensate her for 19 weeks of lost pay.
An organisation that decided to make an employee's position redundant and terminated her employment on the same day has failed to convince the Fair Work Commission that it either didn't need to consult her, or already had.
HR has never been so challenged, important and busy, with no signs of slowing down. In this webcast, a lawyer discusses the most pressing issues HR professionals are likely to face during 2021 and how to prepare for them.
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.
Costly legal disputes continue to highlight the many risks employers face when managing, disciplining, or dismissing employees while they are absent, injured or incapacitated. Attend this webinar for an up-to-date review of the legal framework applying to workplace absenteeism, injury and incapacity, and lessons from recent case law.