Legal page 305 of 565

An IT consultant who falsified bank statements to disprove allegations she was working for private clients on company time has been ordered to pay a portion of her employer's legal costs, while the FWC considers whether she committed an offence under the Fair Work Act.

An FWC member has rebuffed an employer's claim that he should recuse himself from hearing an unfair dismissal case on the basis of an ultimately admitted error he made in writing up a jurisdictional decision.

Employers with workers on annualised salaries have only to pay superannuation on standard hours at ordinary rates of pay, a full Federal Court led by Chief Justice James Allsop has ruled.

A psychometric testing business engaged by child residential-care providers has failed to convince the FWC that it should not reveal its reasons for deeming "currently unsuitable" a supervisor now challenging his dismissal.

Newly-installed IR Minister Christian Porter has singled out the ailing enterprise bargaining system as one of his first priorities, highlighting the need to reduce "complexities" standing in the way of agreement-making.

The Fair Work Commission has granted award-reliant workers a 3% increase, lifting the national minimum wage by $21.60 a week or 57 cents an hour in this year's annual wage review ruling.

The FWO has launched a test case against the operator of a pop-up toy store, seeking to reverse the onus of proof for underpayments and rely for the first time on serious contraventions provisions that potentially expose the company and its director to 10 times the ordinary maximum penalties.

The head of Western Australia's Industrial Relations Commission has vented her frustration at the efforts of an unfair dismissal advocate by expressing a desire for legislative changes that would empower the tribunal to "discipline" underperforming agents.

A lawyer accused of bullying has failed to convince the Federal Court that it should stop a law firm from potentially expelling her as a partner because it treated her less favourably than male colleagues, the court holding that conduct that included an "inflammatory" letter following the complaints set her circumstances apart.

A senior FWC member has lamented the continuing "abuse" of the Commission's stop bullying jurisdiction in refusing to shield a casino employee from the consequences of conduct that included repeatedly spitting into a bin.