A senior FWC member in upholding a Virgin Australia ground crew worker's dismissal over pilfered cigarettes has noted that "one's fate" is often sealed by attempted cover-ups rather than the actual misconduct, further observing that the former employee did himself no favours when posting on social media that the airline's HR partner was a "despicable human being".
A multinational "people flow" company can require a tradesperson with severe claustrophobia to transfer from an escalator repair team to an elevator repair team, the FWC has found, while cautioning that its approach to accommodating his condition would be considered if he returned with an unfair dismissal claim.
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.
In a decision clarifying the extent to which employers can address shortcomings in order to finalise an agreement already voted on, the FWC has approved a black coal deal opposed by the CFMMEU after accepting it would not be "substantially" changed by 14 undertakings.
A worker's tardy pursuit of claimed underpayments under an old agreement has failed, the FWC agreeing with the employer that it lacked jurisdiction once a new deal was approved.
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.
A delivery driver was left with no choice but to resign when he had his hours cut after complaining his former mother-in-law was s-xually harassing him at work, the FWC has found.
A council security guard ruled to have been fairly dismissed may have achieved a different outcome if he had been allowed legal representation, an FWC bench has found.
The FWC has thrown out the unfair dismissal claims of a family accused of running a private school like they owned it and improperly spending more than $1 million on overseas trips, loan repayments and cash payouts while granting themselves substantial "back pay" and bonuses.
