2020 coronavirus pandemic page 4 of 82

In a decision shedding further light on whether workers should be paid if instructed to conduct COVID-19 rapid antigen tests at home or prior to a shift, the FWC has held an aged care agreement lacks any provision to pay staff for testing at a time of their choosing.

In ordering a witness to attend a hearing in person, a NSW IRC member has highlighted "real pitfalls when evidence is not given in person" and emphasised that despite the widespread acceptance of virtual appearances at the height of COVID-19, there is no "presumption in favour of granting an order that evidence be given by [audio-visual link]".

The Flying Kangaroo's crucial High Court challenge to the finding that it took unlawful adverse action against 2000 former ground crew when it rejected a TWU in-house tender and outsourced their jobs is set to be heard next month.

A university's failure to properly consult with an employee over its COVID-19 vaccination mandate did not make the direction unreasonable, the FWC has found.

The FWC has rejected an unvaccinated child protection officer's faith-based challenge to her sacking, despite claims that requiring her to get a COVID-19 jab is akin to asking a Muslim worker "to have injections that s/he considered not Halal".

The FWC has lambasted a senior government employee for their "reprehensible" attempts to prompt a witness by sending texts during a remote hearing of an unvaccinated worker's unfair dismissal case.

In a decision exploring what constitutes a disciplinary investigation, a FWC full bench has quashed a finding that a public transport agency must pay a group of train drivers blocked from attending work after failing to comply with its COVID-19 vaccination policy.

The Albanese Government is not attracted to "scorched earth" IR policies to address Australia's productivity challenges, Treasurer Jim Chalmers said today, ahead of tomorrow's tabling of the final report of the Productivity Commission's productivity inquiry.

The one in every six workers who took up the Morrison Government's invitation to withdraw their super during the pandemic mostly took the maximum $20,000 or their whole account balance, tended to spend the windfall on gambling and consumer items, and cut their retirement income by $120,000 in today's dollars, according to a new academic study.

Victoria's nation-first pilot scheme providing paid sick leave to casual and contract workers in selected industries has paid out more than one million hours of leave at a cost of more than $22 million in the past year, but unenthusiastic employers ensure its future remains cloudy despite evidence it reduced workplace illnesses.