An employer that summarily dismissed a casual worker who abused and threatened colleagues should have offered her an opportunity to explain behaviour that might hypothetically have been a reaction to the death of a beloved pet, the FWC has found.
A long-serving industrial tribunal member has taken aim at an employer's claim that summarily sacking a worker by text was a "generational thing", describing the method as "unconscionably undignified" while insisting that dismissals should always be conducted face-to-face.
A large employer has for the second time in a year successfully argued that disposition of a matter before the FWC would be best served by it being permitted to engage an external lawyer to argue against a self-represented worker, given its admitted lack of expertise in IR matters.
The Federal Circuit Court has ordered indemnity costs against two casual employees who refused offers to settle their adverse action and award breach cases for $10,000 and maintained their demands for $95,000 payouts.
Employers should pay close attention to their "extended workforce" before being forced to do so by increased regulation and public scrutiny, according to former Fair Work Ombudsman Natalie James.
A large pharmaceutical company is obliged to convert labour hire workers to permanent positions after a year's continuous employment, the FWC ruling that the relevant agreement clause was a permitted matter because it promoted job security.
The ETU is anticipating multiple backpay claims on behalf of thousands of labour hire and FIFO workers at resource, electrical supply and construction companies across Australia as part of a new campaign seeking to challenge their classification as casuals.
Unions have stepped up their criticism of the Morrison Government's legislation that extends to all "regular casual" workers a right to request conversion to part-time or full-time employment.
The Morrison Government should withdraw its casual conversion bill due to "serious problems", according to Adelaide University Professor of Law, Andrew Stewart, who has also opened fire on the "worse than useless" regulation introduced to purportedly address employers' liabilities in the wake of the Workpac v Skene ruling.
The CFMMEU will this week seek to intervene in a class action pursuing leave entitlements for thousands of Workpac's on-hire casual black coal mine workers, at a hearing expected to also deal with the company's bid to block another casual, Robert Rossato, from winning entitlements.
