Employment

McDonald’s has raised concerns about a “skewed” sample of employees for the initial trial in a class action alleging the fast food giant denied shift managers compensation for pre- and post-shift work.

A judge has declined to order costs against basketball coach Shane Heal in his failed Fair Work case against the Sydney Flames, saying Heal’s claims were not “advanced without any factual or legal basis”.

The number of new class actions so far this year has fallen short of recent years, and not a single shareholder proceeding has been lodged in 2024 to date, according to a new report.

Plaintiff law firm Slater & Gordon has admitted to a payroll error affecting at least 100 current and former employees that has resulted in underpayments of at least $300,000.

A law firm has secured more funds to cover the cost of distributing a $20 million settlement reached in a class action against telco contractor BSA, but not as much as it wanted, with a judge saying the firm would have been stuck with its initial estimate if the administration gig had been put out to tender.

Preemptive action brought by Rebel Sports owner Super Retail Group against lawyers acting for the retailer’s employees in a proposed $50 million lawsuit seeks court orders concealing information expected to be filed in the case.

The director of a Perth law firm fired a legal assistant by a text message that was generated with ChatGPT, the Fair Work Commission has found.

Employment Minister Tony Burke says he will support the Fair Work Commission’s plan to appoint an independent administrator to the construction division of the CFMEU and flagged an AFP investigation into recent allegations the union has been infiltrated by criminal figures. 

Rebel Sports owner Super Retail Group has filed court action against solicitors at Harmers Workplace Lawyers and the employment firm’s external media strategist, after revealing it faced a potential $50 million lawsuit by the firm on behalf of the retailer’s employees.

A judge is considering the extraordinary step of ordering costs against basketball coach Shane Heal in his failed Fair Work case against the Sydney Flames, saying the case was “very much on the margin” of constituting an exception to the no-costs rule.