HenryPill,SeniorAssociate,HallPayneLawyers CraigGreen,Counsel,DobsonMitchellAllport
PintleyvDPWorldSydney[2023]FWC65
25employeesterminatedforfailingtocomplywitha vaccinemandate
ArguedafailuretocomplywiththerelevantStateWHS legislation
FollowedonfromthedecisioninHowardvMtArthurCoal [2021]FWCFB6059
Argued:Novalidreasonfordismissal
Thequestionfordeterminationinthepresentcaseisnotsimply whethertheMandatewasalawfulandreasonabledirectionor whethertheApplicantsrefusedtocomplywithalawfulandreasonable direction.Rather,thequestionrequiresconsiderationofwhetherthe refusaloftheApplicantstocomplywiththeMandatewasamatterof sufficientgravitytoconstituteasound,defensible,well-founded,and thereforevalidreasonfordismissal.Iamalsoboundtoconsiderthe Respondents'contentionthatontheevidenceprovided,factsexistedat theatthetimeofthedismissalsthatjustifiedthem.Whetherthe Mandateconstitutedalawfulandreasonabledirectionisrelevant,but notdeterminativeofthesequestions
MtArthurCoaldoesnotsupportthepropositionthat non-compliancewithavaccinemandate implemented,whichwasimplementedcontraryto consultingobligationsisavalidreasonfordismissal
BlumevMinisteradministeringtheStateService Act2000[2023]TASIC37
ClinicalNurseSpecialistatNWRH
Stooddownin2021forfailingtocomplywiththeOctober 2021vaccinationdirectionsunderthePublicHealthAct1997
TerminatedSeptember2022
BywhichtimethePublicHealthDirectionhadbeenlifted
EnterTexthere
[36]Whilstatfirstblushthissubmissionmaybeattractive,itfailsto accountforthreematters.ThefirstisthattheApplicantwasfoundtobe inbreachofthedirectionasat5May2022.Atthattimethedirections werestillinplace,anditwasnotknownwhenthedirectionsmaybe terminationunfair.ThebreachoftheCodeofConductwasfoundtohave occurredinMayaswascontinuingconductoveranumberofweeks.
[37]Theseconddifficultywiththissubmissionisthatthefactthatthe directionsceasedtobeofeffectsaysnothingaboutthenatureor seriousnessofthebreach.ThebreachwasseriousbecausetheApplicant wasunabletoprovidehisservicesand,aspartofthemanagement prerogative,theRespondentwasentitledtomanageitsworkforce17. Further,thepurposeofthedirectionswastoensurethatvulnerable people(patientsobtainingmedicaltreatment)wouldnotbeexposedto theCOVID-19virusandbeatriskofseriousillnessorworse
SkeltonvABS[2023]FedCGamC2G89
PostonLinkedInwhichdealtwithvaccinemandates LinkedInaccountpubliclyidentifiedherasanemployeeof theCommonwealth
Policiesandproceduresinplaceregardingsocialmediause andexpressingpoliticalviews
SkeltonvABS[2023]FedCGamC2G89
MsSkeltonwasnotterminatedforhavinga politicalopinion.Theexpressionofherpoliticalopinionbore nomorethananassociationwiththereasonsforher terminationandonlytotheextentofMs inchoosingtopostherpoliticalopinioninamannerthat breachedthetermsoftheABSCodeofConductandSocial
SkeltonvABS[2023]FedCGamC2G89
ABCCvPattinson[2022]HCA13
CivilpenaltyproceedingsbroughtagainsttheCFMMEUbytheABCCformisrepresentations madebyoneofitsofficerstonon-unionemployeesonaworksite,incontraventionofs.349 oftheFWAct
Firstinstance:MaximumpenaltyimposedontheUnion
Onappeal:
AppealedtotheHighCourt
ABCCvPattinson[2022]HCA13
TheFullCourterredinconcludingthatitwasnotopento theprimaryjudgetoimposethemaximumpenalty
Thecivilpenaltyregimeisprimarily,ifnotsolely,tasked withpromotingcompliancebydeterrenceof contraventions
NothinginthetextcontextorpurposeoftheActrequires themaximumpenaltytobereservedforthemostserious examplesofcontraventions
Thepenaltiesimposedatfirstinstancerepresenteda reasonableassessmentofwhatwasnecessarytoachieve deterrence.
CheikhovInsuranceAustraliaGroup [2023]FWC1792
Employedasaconsultantphonebasedcustomerservice role
Alleged
failurebytheApplicanttoworkasrequiredduringthe periodOctobertoDecember2022
Historyofuncompletedtasksandbeinguncontactable
Previouswrittenwarningandof
CheikhovInsuranceAustraliaGroup
Keystrokemonitoringsoftwarewasemployedaspartoftheinvestigation
Theemployeeaveragedlessthan100keystrokesperhour; InNovember,theemployeeaveraged35keystrokesperhour; Theemployeeonlyonceregisteredmorethan1000keystrokesinasingle hour.
1,000keystrokesequalsaboutaquarterofapageoftext
TheevidencedemonstratesthatintheperiodOctobertoDecember2022the Applicantwasnotworkingasshewasrequiredtododuringherdesignated workinghours....Theevidenceshowsthat[theApplicant]wasunabletoprovide acredibleexplanationduringthatprocess.NorwastheApplicantabletodosoin thecourseoftheseproceedings.
HomesvAustralianCarersPtyLtd(No2)[2023]
FedCFamC2G714
Isworkingfromhomeaworkplaceright?
GeneralProtectionsclaim
Requestforflexibleworkarrangement:workingfromhome
Allegationsofbullying,discrimination
OtherswithintheorganizationweregrantedWFH
FedCFamC2G714
TheCourthasconcludedthattheRespondentshavenocasetoanswer withrespecttoMs
(c)thatshehadaworkplacerighttoworkfromhome;
Absentacontractual,awardoragreemententitlementtoworkfrom home,adirectiontoattendtheofficemaybelawful.
adjustments,mustbetakenintoaccount.
HomesvAustralianCarersPtyLtd(No2)[2023]Distributionofpornographyandotheroffensive materialatworkwillitalwaysleadtodismissal?
THDL[2021]FWC6692
Kaur[2022]FWC487
ApplicationbyAB[2023]FWC2183
SwiftvHighlandPineProductsPtyLtd[2023]FWC1997