Employment

The Fair Work Ombudsman has brought its first-ever court proceedings against a franchisor, alleging it is legally responsible for its franchisees’ underpayments of nine workers.

Uber has won a strike-out bid in a lawsuit by drivers challenging their classification as independent contractors, with a judge finding the pleading was “self-evidently, uncommonly and irretrievably deficient.”

The federal government’s bid to shut down an underpayments class action on behalf of postgraduate research candidates at universities across Australia remains to be heard after a judge rejected the self-represented applicant’s bid to strike out the strike-out application.

Law firm Atanaskovic Hartnell and founding partner John Atanaskovic have been ordered to pay penalties of $184,680 to a former general manager, on top of a previous $160,000 judgment for engaging in what a judge said was a campaign to “abuse, belittle and victimise” the woman.

Independent MP Monique Ryan is headed into settlement talks with her chief of staff, Sally Rugg, who has alleged the Commonwealth engaged in hostile conduct when it fired her for refusing to work “unreasonable” hours.

A business owned by billionaire and soccer team owner Paul Lederer unfairly dismissed a flight attendant who worked on his private jet because she refused to change hotels during a stopover, the Fair Work Commission has found.

A PricewaterhouseCoopers partner has hit back at a lawsuit over her alleged involvement in a $3.3 million scheme to defraud her husband’s employer, saying she believed payments into her account were made under a personal loan brokered by her husband from a “wealthy friend” in China.

King & Wood Mallesons has welcomed the return of employment law expert Annamarie Rooding, who left the firm to serve as top inhouse lawyer with gaming giant Tabcorp.

The former chief of staff for independent MP Monique Ryan says the Commonwealth engaged in “hostile conduct in the workplace” when it fired her after she refused to work “unreasonable” hours, according to newly released court documents.

Stock broker Fortrend Securities has filed a suit alleging wealth manager Shaw & Partners sent unsolicited welcome letters to clients as part of a scheme involving two former advisors.