The Courts Have Spoken. The Value of Human Dignity Is No Longer Measured by Yesterday's Standards. For many years, victims of workplace discrimination and sexual harassment faced an uncomfortable reality. Even when they proved their case, compensation for the humiliation, distress and psychological harm they suffered was often modest. Awards between $12,000 and $20,000 became the accepted norm despite the devastating consequences discrimination can have on a person's career,

If Someone Tells You "Discrimination Cases Only Pay $20,000" – They're Living in the Past One of the most persistent myths in Australian employment and discrimination law is that successful discrimination complaints only attract modest compensation. For years, employers, insurers and even some advisers routinely pointed to historical decisions where compensation for hurt, humiliation and distress fell between $12,000 and $20,000. That argument is now fundamentally outdated. I

For many workers, lodging an application with the Fair Work Commission can feel like a major milestone. After days or weeks of stress, gathering evidence, preparing forms, and deciding whether to pursue an Unfair Dismissal or General Protections claim, pressing the "submit" button often brings a sense of relief. However, lodging your application is not the end of the process. In reality, it is only the beginning. One of the most common questions workers ask is: "What happens

Australia's Strength Lies in Its Diversity Recent public commentary has once again revived the notion that Australia should embrace a singular cultural identity, often described as a return to a "traditional" or "monocultural" Australia. Such arguments are neither new nor particularly constructive. They overlook a fundamental truth about our nation: Australia has never been a monoculture. Long before European settlement, this continent was home to hundreds of Aboriginal and T

A recent Full Bench decision of the Fair Work Commission provides critical clarity for workers navigating secondary employment, side businesses, and contractor arrangements. The case of Adidem Pty Ltd v Suckling [2014] FWCFB 3611 reinforces an important principle: not all secondary work is a conflict of interest, and employers cannot simply assume it is. The Facts: Side Hustle Leads to Dismissal The worker in this matter was employed as a retail manager with The Body Shop. Ou

In our previous article, we discussed the importance of selecting the correct Fair Work Commission application following a dismissal. We examined the difference between an Unfair Dismissal application and a General Protections application involving dismissal and explained why understanding that distinction is critical. Once you have decided which pathway is appropriate, the next challenge is completing the application itself. Many people assume that filling out a Fair Work Co