NEWS-HR

A s.185 (Enterprise agreement) application by The Commissioners of the Presbyterian Church in WA T/A Braemar Presbyterian Care for their Braemar Presbyterian Care Employees Agreement 2016 has been approved by Commissioner Lee in Melbourne on May 2017.

TSA (VIC) Property Trust as Trustee the Salvation Army (Vic) Social Work is again facing a trio of s.394 (Application for unfair dismissal remedy) lodged by Bokori-Mayman/Ewels/Talarico.

Central Gippsland Health Service is facing a s.394 (Application for unfair dismissal remedy) claim before Deputy President Gostencnik in the Magistrates Court Foster Street Sale at 10am (Puser).

A former Tasmanian health boss has lost her wrongful dismissal case against the Tasmanian Government and may be forced to pay court costs. Jane Holden was suing the Government for $2.2 million for loss of income and damage to her reputation and had argued unproven allegations contained in the 2014 Investigation into allegations of nepotism and conflict of interest by senior health officials report by the Tasmanian Integrity Commission were the basis for her sacking. She was accused of nepotism and misconduct in the report, which was released just prior to her dismissal as acting head of the Southern Area Health Service in 2014. But the Government argued Ms Holden was sacked from her $416,000-a-year role because her substantive position had been made redundant and there was no other suitable role for her. Justice Shan Tennent said there was no formal appointment of Ms Holden to a new role and she was satisfied that a redundancy situation existed. She did not read out her full reasons for the judgement, but they have been published online. Ms Holden, who is now managing a hospital in remote Papua New Guinea, was not in the Supreme Court for the judgement, with Justice Tennent adding she had informed Ms Holden that her presence was not necessary. During her trial in November last year, Ms Holden took to the witness stand and said she was “shattered” over the sacking. She said she had struggled to find a new job and was now earning half of her previous salary. Outside the court, her lawyer Mark Rinaldi said it was a disappointing outcome and his client would be reviewing the decision. When asked if an appeal was likely, he said: “We’ll have to see”. Ms Holden has 21 days to lodge an appeal.

TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT – extension of time – representative error – ss.381, 394 Fair Work Act 2009 – application for relief from unfair dismissal filed seven days beyond statutory time limit – applicant’s position terminated on 22 September 2016 – application filed late due to error of applicant’s previous representative – principles of Nulty and Kornicki applied – Commission satisfied that applicant sent relevant documentation package to correct address but without the Company name – respondent submitted that they would suffer prejudice – Commission found no fault in applicant’s previous representative as the applicant did not follow their standard procedures of engagement or communication – found applicant’s late lodgement due to applicant’s own mistake in addressing the envelope – regarded not to be a fatal flaw – Commission satisfied applicant undertook sufficient activity to show intention of challenging termination – Commission satisfied applicant’s mistake was an exceptional circumstance – extension of time granted. Bell v Institute for Urban Indigenous Health Ltd

TSA (VIC) Property Trust as Trustee the Salvation Army (Vic) Social Work has a trio of s.394 (Application for unfair dismissal remedy) claimants lined up seeking retribution (Bokori-Mayman/Ewels/Talarico).

Anglican Community Services has to deal with a s.739 (Application to deal with a dispute in relation to flexible working arrangements) before Commissioner Johns in Conference Room A in Brisbane at 4.30pm today.

An application for approval of the Braemar Presbyterian Care Employees Agreement 2016 (s.185 – Application for approval of a single-enterprise agreement) will be determined by Commissioner Lee in his Melbourne chambers at 2pm.