Unfair Dismissal?

I am on a 457 visa and my employer has refused to pay my wages in exchange for visa sponsorship. Is this lawful?

What role does context play in determining whether a dismissal is unfair?

Can I be discriminated against by my employer for holding a criminal record?

The Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) and the Equal Opportunity Act 2010 (Vic) prevents employers from discriminating against employees based on protected attributes. Whilst the list of protected attributes is exhaustive, neither of these legislations include the holding of a Criminal Record as a protected attribute, making criminal record holders particularly vulnerable during employment processes.

My employer has decided not to renew my fixed-term contract. Do I have any legal recourse?

There are certain circumstances where employees on a fixed-term contract are entitled to bring forward an unfair dismissal claim. If you feel discriminated against, read on.

Should I lodge a General Protections or Unfair Dismissal?

Many unrepresented employees contact the Fair Work Commission assuming that it will give them free legal advice. It does not. It does provide sound information usually about an Unfair Dismissal claim and how to make an Unfair Dismissal claim.

Is sick leave paid out on termination?

Generally speaking, under s 101 of the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) employees are not allowed cash out sick leave unless their modern award or enterprise bargaining agreement (EBA) contain specific terms which allows for sick leave to be paid out on termination of employment.

What rights do I have if I’m a high income employee who has been unfairly dismissed?

Under the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth), a high income employee is classified as someone whose pro-rata employment salary is equal to or above the high income threshold.

Can I send or take work related information home?

With increasing workloads and the adoption of flexible working arrangements, more and more of us are conducting work from our own homes. Commonly, we think very little of taking work-related material out of the office, often emailing ourselves the relevant information.

How do I know whether my employer’s decision to make my position redundant is lawful or genuine redundancy?

Redundancy is a far more complex concept than most people know. Even judges get it wrong. There is no substitute for sound legal advice but here is a start.

Is my support person allowed to speak or act on my behalf during a disciplinary meeting?

As an employee you are entitled to have a support person at a disciplinary meeting.  This entitlement also extends to a performance management or investigatory meeting.  In fact, the failure by an employer to allow you to have a support person present may result or add weight in a dismissal in relation to that meeting being deemed unfair due to the lack of procedural fairness.

When does my 21-day period start?

If you wish to lodge an Unfair Dismissal or General Protections Involving Dismissal application with the Fair Work Commission, you have 21 days beginning from the date your dismissal takes effect.

I did not sign an employment contract, what rights do I have?

You still have extensive rights and responsibilities as an employee, even if you have never signed an employment contract. The terms and conditions of your employment can be found in 4 places:

• The National Employment Standards in the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth);
• Any applicable industry modern award;
• An employer-specific enterprise bargaining agreement; and/or
• Rights under other pieces of legislation.