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A sacked employee who rejected a $15,000 offer to settle his adverse action claim has had costs awarded against him, with the Federal Magistrates Court finding it was unreasonable of him not to accept the money.

Private sector rates of pay up 3.7% annually, 0.9% in quarter; Bandt says bill will help resolve bargaining disputes; TWU fails to overturn order to pay Qantas $700,000-plus; Full court reserves decision in JJ Richards; FWA issues directions for Victorian public sector workplace determination; and Rio Tinto forging ahead with automation plans.

The ASU and Queensland betting agency TattsBet have been granted a renewed anti-discrimination exemption that allows the agency to offer higher redundancy pay to older workers.

Domino’s agrees to audit stores after underpayment complaints to FWO; Victorian company first to be banned under 457 visa program; Victorian nurses dispute drags on; more than 100 days since conciliation began; Submissions due by end of February for inquiry into Bandt "right to request" bill; Comments invited on planned ATO disclosure to super funds; Clarification of report on Law Reform Commission paper; and CFMEU fails to win FWA approval for protected action ballot.

APESMA says "go away" money case had merit and that employer breached terms of confidential settlement; FWA refuses to accept late claim, despite representative error; Workplace laws may need to include family violence provisions, says ALRC; FWO takes adverse action case against MUA.

Fair Work Australia has found it was unfair for HJ Heinz Company Australia to dismiss a sales manager who refused to be performance managed because he feared it was designed to trigger his exit from the company.

The parliaments and courts should re-consider the traditional common law approach to employer control over employees’ private lives, in response to burgeoning use of social media and the blurring of work and private spheres, says IR academic and lawyer Louise Thornthwaite.

Greens' bill extends flexible work rights; High Court rejects Rio Tinto appeal bid; and Manager sacked for refusing performance management wins job back.

The secret nature of unfair dismissal settlements reached during FWA conciliation makes it impossible to test whether the Federal Government has achieved its promise to eliminate “go away” money, according to the author of a pilot case study in which the employer was told four weeks pay would make the matter disappear.

An “unrecognised epidemic” of sleep deprivation among standard hours workers - particularly parents - reinforces the argument for extending to carers of all school-aged children the right to request flexible arrangements, according to University of South Australia researchers.