She packed up and left - but the court said that was her choice, not her boss's
A disability services worker who claimed she was fired during a heated meeting actually resigned, a federal court has ruled.
The Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia found that a support coordinator was not dismissed by her employer, Australian Carers Pty Ltd, after a tense office meeting in January 2022 - despite her belief that the words "we are done here" ended her employment.
The employee had worked for the disability services provider from August 2, 2021, to January 18, 2022, earning $60,000 per year as a support coordinator. The trouble started in late December 2021, when she contracted COVID-19 and asked to work from home during her mandatory isolation period. Her employer denied the request, citing a blanket policy against remote work.
When she returned to the office on January 14, 2022, she discovered that a senior colleague - the state manager - had been granted permission to work from home. She vented her frustration to colleagues about what she saw as inconsistent treatment.
Four days later, the company's general manager called her into an unscheduled meeting. According to the employee's evidence, the general manager asked her about being "unhappy," and the conversation quickly escalated. The employee told the court the general manager spoke in a "very loud, angry and aggressive voice," used large hand movements, and pointed his finger at her. She said he told her that if...
Daily Fact Check from NewsGuard AI Does an April 2026 study prove that antiparasitic medications ivermectin and mebendazole effectively treat cancer? False Claim of the Week: Voting Machines in Coo...