IR academics say the High Court's "revolutionary" approach in Rossato signals an intention to rewrite the rules for determining employment status, with potentially dire consequences for gig workers and others seeking to challenge their characterisation.
The AMWU has objected to what fruit and vegetable processor SPC today described as the country's first mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy for its workforce, leaving the door open to possible legal action.
Employers once said to be facing up to $38 billion in casuals' backpay claims have welcomed today's High Court confirmation that contracts are decisive in determining employment types, while workers' representatives have come out swinging.
The High Court has today unanimously upheld labour hire company Workpac's challenge to a finding that coal mineworker Robert Rossato was entitled to paid leave while engaged as a casual on consecutive contracts for almost four years.
Uber is again facing a challenge to claims it has no employment relationship with drivers, a rideshare workers' group going after the company for alleged record keeping and payslip breaches in a case seeking penalties to boost its advocacy war chest.
A pilot engaged to fly casino VIPs in luxury private jets is accusing employer ExecuJet of standing him down for a year and sacking him, while others kept working, because he questioned the safety of international flights during the pandemic.
A traffic management company seeking a deal paying night workers shift loadings instead of higher overtime rates even if they don't take over from a preceding shift has lost its appeal bid after refusing to give an undertaking to overcome the deficiency.
The FWC has rebuffed Wesfarmers subsidiary Officeworks' request that it be represented by law firm Freehills in a dispute with the SDA and has suggested, based on correspondence from the company, that its head of HR, Heidi Dorman, should appear.
A former Orix chief executive allegedly sacked without notice while facing corruption charges that were later dropped is now suing the company for more than $1 million in accrued entitlements he claims to be owed plus penalties.
A diamond retailer held to have sacked a sales manager diagnosed with breast cancer because she planned to take leave to recover from surgery is facing penalties and a compensation bill in the Federal Circuit Court.
