She moved states on certified leave. Her employer assumed she'd walked. Fair Work saw it differently
When is a worker gone for good - and when have you fired them by accident? A Fair Work Commission decision handed down on May 26, 2026 shows how easily an employer can blur that line, and how the wrong call can backfire.
Taylah Carrodus worked for Tunnelling Solutions Pty Ltd in Victoria from October 2022. On October 24, 2025, she asked to work from home full-time from January 5, 2026, tied to a planned move to Queensland. The company said no on November 14, 2025.
From there, the relationship came apart. Carrodus asked for a meeting about the refusal. The company declined and told her to respond in writing. She went on personal leave for stress on November 25, 2025 and never returned.
On December 5, 2025, she obtained a Certificate of Capacity declaring her totally unfit for work until March 4, 2026. Around the same time, she lodged a workers' compensation claim. The company had a copy of the medical certificate.
Then the dispute reached the Commission. On December 15, 2025, Tunnelling Solutions itself asked the Commission to deal with the flexible work disagreement, citing her imminent move. The matter was adjourned, with both sides due to report back by February 4, 2026.
This is where the employer made its move. On December 19, 2025, it told Carrodus through her lawyers that "absent a granted flexible work request" it would treat her as having abandoned her job as at...
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