A Federal Circuit Court stoush over whether a company lawfully docked the pay of workers for attending a union meeting about on-site asbestos could hinge on whether they faced an "imminent threat" and whether the supervisor who granted permission was authorised.
The Fair Work Ombudsman has begun the first proceedings using tougher new provisions relating to providing false and misleading documents during an investigation, Senate Estimates hearings have been told this week.
The FWO has dropped its case against Foodora over alleged sham contracts, bringing to a premature close what was anticipated to be a significant test of the gig economy's employment relationships in Australia.
In a significant decision on adverse publicity as a factor in setting penalties, a judge has heavily discounted fines sought against an underpaying Melbourne restaurant chain while criticising the FWO's practice of naming and shaming employers before their day in court.
A business owner has been hit with a record $125,000 penalty over his company's failure to pay FWC-awarded compensation to an unfairly sacked former employee.
The voluntary administrators of food delivery business Foodora Australia Pty Ltd say the process will give the company "essential breathing space", which includes a statutory stay on landmark legal proceedings testing whether its riders are employees or contractors.
In a significant win for FWO efforts to extend liability to advisors involved in underpayments, a Full Federal Court has today dismissed an accountancy firm's appeal against penalties imposed last year for failing to ensure a client met its award obligations.
The big stick handed to the ABCC in the form of personal payment orders against contravening union officials has been whittled further with two Federal Court decisions reinforcing that past records and a clear appreciation of consequences must first be taken into account.
