News

A Townsville supplements shop manager has lost his unfair dismissal claim in the Fair Work Commission (FWC) after the FWC found he used his employer’s money to benefit himself.

Continue reading “Shop Manager Accused of Misuse of Business Funds Loses Dismissal Claim”

Note: After an understandable delay caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Community Services Industry (Portable Long Service Leave) Bill 2019 was passed by Queensland Parliament on 17 June 2020 and subsequently signed into law as the Community Services Industry (Portable Long Service Leave) Act 2020. The operative date for the Scheme remains to be determined but 1 January 2021 is likely. ES Clients are directed to the Briefing Paper issued by email on 8 July 2020 for additional background.

Late last year we advised valued clients operating in the community services sector in Queensland that the Palaszczuk Labor government had introduced the Community Services Industry (Portable Long Service Leave) Bill 2019 into Parliament on 27 November 2019.

Continue reading “FURTHER UPDATE: Proposed Portable Long Service Leave (PLSL) Scheme for Queensland Community Services Sector”

A Full Bench of the Fair Work Commission (FWC) has overturned an earlier ruling relating to an employee dismissed by BP Refinery (Kwinana) Pty Ltd over a Hitler parody video. 

Continue reading “Hitler Parody Video Not Grounds for Dismissal: FWC Full Bench”

Another year is racing away but, more than five years after it commenced, the 4 Yearly Review of the Modern Awards by the Fair Work Commission (FWC) is still not finished. Thankfully, the long-running process is due to reach a conclusion by the end of 2020. Around 30 re-vamped Modern Awards were released in a ‘2020’ version and came into force earlier this month; a further 39 are soon to be replaced by their ‘2020’ version and will become operative from ppc 13 April 2020 and ppc 4 May 2020.

UPDATE: The proposed changes to the Paid Parental Leave Scheme discussed in this article have subsequently been passed by Parliament with the Paid Parental Leave Amendment (Flexibility Measures) Act 2020 coming into force from 1 July 2020.

Earlier in February, the Government introduced the Paid Parental Leave Amendment (Flexibility Measures) Bill to Parliament which proposes to allow for more flexibility around the taking of Government-funded paid parental leave.

An employee who was pregnant at the time her role was made redundant last year has been awarded compensation by the Fair Work Commission, with Deputy President Boyce finding her employer’s “abject failure” to consult properly with her rendered her dismissal “the very definition of unfair”.

A casual sales assistant has won the right to pursue her unfair dismissal application after successfully appealing an earlier decision of Deputy President Mansini, with a Full Bench of the Fair Work Commission (FWC) ruling the Deputy President had erred in finding the worker was not an employee protected from unfair dismissal.

How 2 years ago! Find our news post regarding the 2022 Easter public holidays for eastern states here.