The Human Rights Commission and the Law Council have voiced major concerns to a Senate inquiry into a Bill designed to protect workers who bring sexual harassment claims from costs orders in most circumstances, but the ACTU says criticisms are "unfounded".
A veteran employment lawyer is asking the FWC to repel a journalist's freedom of information bid for documents relating to a settled unfair dismissal case, warning that it could "undermine the correct administration of the Fair Work Act" and inflict "irreversible harm" on his client.
The FWC has ordered compensation but declined to reinstate 24 DP World wharfies sacked in 2021 for refusing to be vaccinated against COVID-19, finding that although the dismissal process was bungled, the workers "significantly contributed" to the situation.
In a case highlighting the many tripwires involved in remote working arrangements, the FWC has upheld the sacking of a Bureau of Meteorology scientist who fell off the radar after an overseas holiday.
FWC President Adam Hatcher has ordered a paid IR agent to attend a conference to resolve a worker's complaint that he ended up out of pocket after settling an adverse action case his representative sought to discontinue without his express approval.
The FWC will in March hear ABC arguments that radio presenter Antoinette Lattouf's claim that the broadcaster unlawfully sacked her over an Instagram post critical of Israel's war in Gaza cannot proceed because of her casual engagement and reliance on the wrong provision of the Fair Work Act.
A FWC presidential member has stayed payment of $10,000 to an unfairly sacked worker after going beyond an employer's appeal grounds to identify potential flaws in calculation of the compensation.
A senior FWC member has questioned whether paid IR agents should be more closely regulated after expressing dismay that a firm had no processes to identify an incorrectly entered date that led to late filing of a worker's unfair dismissal claim.
The FWC has found the sudden illness and death of a worker's UK-based grandmother and immigration concerns warranted a six-day extension to lodge her unfair dismissal application.
