Employers should have clear whistleblower policies that encourage staff to air concerns safely and anonymously, but not offer rewards or compensation in return, says McDonald Murholme employment lawyer Bianca Mazzarella.
A worker who was sacked for breaching his employer's zero-tolerance drug and alcohol policy has had his unfair dismissal claim rejected, despite his employer questioning the test results and admitting to procedural unfairness.
An HR manager whose employer illegally deducted meal and administration money from employee wages, then submitted false records to the Fair Work Ombudsman, either knew about the activity or was "wilfully blind", a Federal Circuit Court judge has found.
An employee's "habitual" lateness in the face of multiple warnings left his employer with "no alternative" but dismissal, the Fair Work Commission has found.
An employer reasonably and lawfully directed an employee to change her hair colour after she dyed it fluorescent pink for a breast cancer fundraiser, the Fair Work Commission has found.
An employee who was sacked on grounds that defied "any reasonable analysis" has lost his unfair dismissal appeal, after a commission found he fabricated evidence and made critical Facebook posts about his employer.
In a case the Fair Work Commission found "disturbing on a number of levels", an employee whose supervisory practices constituted bullying and harassment has failed in her unfair dismissal claim.
An employer that sacked a worker over a breakdown in the employment relationship has been criticised for failing to resolve a conflict between her and her colleagues.
On an initial reading, the High Court's Barker decision seemed "a devastating result" for any legal recognition of good faith in employment relationships, but the consequences actually "may not be so dire", a legal expert says.
A redundancy dispute in the Fair Work Commission has clarified what might - and might not - be considered acceptable extra travel time when offering redeployment.
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.
