In an important ruling on employers' rights to have legal representation in unfair dismissal hearings, the Fair Work Commission has found the HR department of a major retail company had "ample qualifications" to represent itself without a lawyer.
HR professionals who provide advice that isn't followed can find themselves in trouble in Fair Work Commission proceedings, according to employment lawyer Fay Calderone.
The High Court's ruling that Australian contracts do not impose a duty of trust and confidence is a welcome one for employers, but not a green light to ignore their own policies and procedures, an employment law specialist says.
A court has awarded a dismissed employee more than $1 million, finding her initial termination payment of just over $50k substantially underestimated her notice-period and long service leave entitlements.
A national review has recommended stronger laws to prevent discrimination against pregnant employees and parents, while also highlighting some leading practices by employers in relation to parental leave and pregnancy.
The Federal Court has allowed a disgruntled ex-employee to seek access to a report in an adverse action case, casting doubt on the rights employers have to keep documentation private under legal professional privilege.
In some of the key cases handed down in the anti-bullying jurisdiction so far, the Fair Work Commission has provided useful guidance on what constitutes "repeated unreasonable behaviour", but also raised concerns about the scope of orders it can make.
Employers have no automatic right to legal representation when defending claims in the anti-bullying jurisdiction, despite popular belief to the contrary, according to DLA Piper senior associate Elizabeth Ticehurst.
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.
