Domestic violence victim treated fairly despite sacking

By Sophie Goodall
A black and white image of a women from her shoulders upward, with both hands covering her entire face.

A supermarket retailer has successfully defended an unfair dismissal application despite the employee’s explanation that her deteriorating behaviour and performance was due to difficulties she was encountering in her personal life. In commending the employer for taking “extraordinary lengths” to support the employee, the Fair Work Commission (Commission) found that the dismissal was justified having…

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Court fires warning shots at non-compliant employers

By Sophie Goodall
On a plain black background is an arm (from elbow onwards to the fingers) with their index finger pointed diagonally north west - finger is insinuating a warning.

For a long time now – since the Fair Work Ombudsman first started prosecuting employers under the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) – it has generally been understood that accidental or inadvertent non-compliance with employment laws will be punished much less severely than deliberately unlawful activity. Those days, however, may be over, as a recent decision from…

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The long road to compliance in 2019

By Sophie Goodall
new Labor government industrial relations changes

They say that smooth seas don’t make skilled sailors. Looking ahead to known and predicted changes in the workplace relations space in 2019, HR and People Management professionals can look forward to another eventful year. While the system can be complex, achieving and maintaining compliance with the modern awards and the Fair Work Act 2009 is fundamental…

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