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Professor reinstated after "consensual" tryst with student

A university professor who won reinstatement after being sacked for being "s-xually intimate" with a student during a naked swim has failed to have his and his employer's names removed from the FWC's published decision, despite his concerns the case will attract extra publicity because he is a namesake of the Australian Prime Minister.

Texts sufficient to notify shift changes: Bench

In a decision the RTBU expects to have "widespread ramifications" for employers and employees alike, potentially even disrupting sleep, a FWC full bench has held an unread text message changing an impending shift will satisfy Pacific National's notice requirements.

Code ban extends to Eureka Flags: Court

The Federal Court has today rejected separate challenges by Lendlease and CFMMEU to the construction code's "grammatically nonsensical" prohibition of union logos and paraphernalia, such as the Eureka Flag.


Tribunal backs sacking for excessive personal texting at work

The FWC has upheld the flawed sacking of a health and safety manager after phone records revealed she sent an "extraordinary and unacceptable" amount of text messages at work while overseeing her growing side business.

FWC refuses to extend time despite law firm's failure

The FWC has found a law firm's lack of competence and "grossly unprofessional" conduct primarily to blame for the late unfair dismissal claim of a worker who breached a vaccine mandate, but it has refused to grant a one-day extension due to her role in the delay.

Ross declines to refer vax "questions of law" to full bench

FWC President Iain Ross has refused to refer to a full bench "questions of law" from a health worker and a group of Virgin employees seeking declarations that it is illegal to threaten those breaching vaccine mandates with the sack and that a "non-covid injected person" is no risk.

Tribunal backs ACTU's sacking of worker for Facebook posts

The FWC has upheld, despite some procedural failings, the ACTU's dismissal of a call centre employee over Facebook posts that "cheered on" an anti-vaccine mandate campaign, applauded aggression against police, mocked domestic violence, disparaged black people and vilified transgender people.

Sacking upheld after questionable vax exemption

A worker who unsuccessfully sought to take long service leave after Bulla Dairy Foods rejected medical exemption evidence from a since-suspended doctor has failed to establish it unfairly sacked him for breaching a COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

Tribunal raises the bar in out-of-hours conduct ruling

The FWC has taken Westpac to task for staging a networking soirée in a sports bar with free alcohol and found it appeared to cloud the judgement of a senior manager who touched a junior colleague's buttocks, but has nevertheless upheld his "catastrophic" sacking.