A Victorian government youth justice worker sacked for not having further COVID-19 vaccination shots after reacting adversely to his first dose has won compensation, the FWC finding the department should have explored redeployment and reasonable adjustments.
The FWC has tossed out an unfair dismissal claim from a government lawyer responsible for overseeing safe workplaces, finding he fully understood the seriousness of "wilfully and persistently" refusing to confirm his COVID-19 vaccination status.
In a detailed examination of a major government department's early response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Federal Court has rejected union claims that a hastily-conceived working from home policy breached existing arrangements and consultation requirements.
Isolation periods for COVID-19 are set to drop from seven days to five, while the pandemic leave disaster payment will be adjusted to reflect the change, after a National Cabinet meeting today.
The High Court will next month consider whether to grant special leave to hear the first appeal to reach its doors over government COVID-19 vaccination mandates.
A government corporation's HR manager had "zero interest" in discussing workplace COVID-19 vaccination requirements with a worker who justifiably raised the matter under an agreement's dispute terms, the FWC has found.
BCA chief executive Jennifer Westacott has called on business leaders to approach the upcoming jobs summit with a view to recreating a "high wage, high productivity" economy, describing the past decade as "the worst for growth in living standards since the Great Depression".
The ACTU has called for employers to "step up" ahead of the forecast peak in COVID-19 numbers by providing leave at full pay for workers who need to isolate or quarantine and distributing free rapid antigen tests to all employees.
