An employer treated a long-serving worker like a "dirty rag" when it sacked her for an alleged incapacity to meet her job's inherent requirements, the FWC has found in what it describes as an "ignominiously memorable" case that provides a "strong foundation for argument against any lessening" of unfair dismissal protections.
The FWC has expressed "surprise" at the HR practices of a major courier company that dismissed a depot manager who was partially responsible for a breach of a worldwide embargo on a new JK Rowling book and was the subject of unfounded bullying allegations.
The FWC has slammed an employer for "behaviour of the shabbiest type" when it "de-rostered" an employee and cancelled his 457 visa sponsorship application because he asked to be paid his minimum lawful entitlements.
The FWC has called on employers to introduce a greater range of disciplinary options like fines and unpaid suspensions into agreements to avoid "inappropriately lenient or inappropriately harsh" responses to misconduct that are problematic for all parties concerned.
A tribunal has upheld the sacking of a general manager's personal assistant for storing more than 1200 inappropriate and pornographic emails in a "funny emails" folder, but has compensated her because it was harsh.
The FWC has awarded $6,000 compensation to a travelling salesperson who was unfairly dismissed for making a "crude" and "immature" Facebook post suggesting a woman provided s-xual favours to her boss to win a promotion.
Sacking a transit officer for "excessive force" when he used capsicum spray on a threatening 12-year-old boy was unfair because the employer should have considered demoting him instead, a tribunal has found.
The FWC has reinstated a Metro Trains Melbourne station officer after finding no justification for her sacking over fraudulent transactions on the Myki smartcard ticketing system.
