In an FWC case heavily reliant on circumstantial evidence, a former soldier with an unblemished work record has had his dismissal for stealing company property upheld after the tribunal heard of airport mix-ups on a remote island, alleged union skullduggery, an upset stomach – and a dead bat.
A full Federal Court has overturned a workplace safety finding that permit-holding union officials were rightly denied site access for neglecting to include their middle names on an entry notice, reinforcing that flawless paperwork comes a distant second to protection of workers.
The FWC has upheld under the small business code the summary dismissal of a manager accused of blackmailing his employer into paying an $85,000 separation package in return for him abandoning a proposed complaint to OHS authorities.
A court has thrown out an aggrieved former employee's bullying case, finding he could not substantiate claims of a "complex conspiracy" that involved a flatulent supervisor.
The FWC has ruled that a public health organisation's $270,000-a-year former CFO is not entitled to pursue an unfair dismissal claim because he is not covered by an agreement.
The FWC has poked holes in the record-keeping and training practices of an employer and its HR manager that summarily dismissed a long-serving employee for breaching its "zero tolerance" mobile phone policy without making sure he was aware of it.
The CFMMEU has today challenged employer groups' standing to appeal the approval of its merger, arguing they are not sufficiently affected as they will be dealing with the same officials doing the same work to the same standards, only wearing different t-shirts.
In a closely-watched dismissal case contemplating how much weight should be attached to mitigating factors, an FWC majority full bench has reinstated a worker sacked for his foul abuse and threats to colleagues via text messages and phone calls while drunk.
Victorian unions will push the Andrews Labor Government to make deliberate and dishonest "wage theft" a criminal offence if it wins the state election in November, while they will also be pursuing industrial manslaughter laws.
