Employment

Sydney advisory and accounting firm Bentleys has been hit with a lawsuit by a former HR adviser alleging sexual assault, harassment and “exhibitionist and shocking behaviour” by a senior executive which left her with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Qantas has won its application to the High Court to appeal a Full Federal Court finding that it breached the Fair Work Act when it outsourced the work of its ground crew during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A judge has thrown out an underpayments class action against NSW not-for-profit Life Without Borders for failure to advance the case with due diligence and slapped the lead applicant with costs for his “unreasonable” acts during the course of the proceeding.

A judge overseeing two underpayment class actions against supermarket chain Romeo’s has declined to vary a settlement agreement to provide for distribution by Christmas, saying plaintiff firm Adero Law had not taken “all reasonable steps” to facilitate the payments.

The Commonwealth Bank of Australia and unit CommSec have reached an agreement with the Fair Work Ombudsman on liability in enforcement action alleging they knowingly underpaid almost 7,500 employees over $16.4 million.

The former general manager of sales for Fiat Chrysler Australia has sued the car company for allegedly terminating him for taking two periods of leave after being diagnosed with an auto-immune condition.

A judge has slammed Domino’s for its “entirely unsatisfactory” opening submissions in an underpayments class action, warning the pizza giant not to hide arguments and evidence up its sleeve.

A law firm has filed a class action against Wilson Security on behalf of employees who claim to have been underpaid, just weeks after a court shut down a group proceeding against the company brought by a self-represented worker.

A judge overseeing two underpayments class actions against supermarket chain Romeo’s has rejected a bid for a private costs assessor by Adero Law, which will now go unpaid until at least January.

Qantas has been hit with a lawsuit by a former female pilot who says she suffered years of sex discrimination and harassment that culminated in a three-hour flight simulation with a hostile instructor that left her “visibly distraught.”