Two staff quit, two more broke down - so the employer acted, and Fair Work agreed
An aged care manager called her sacking unfair. The Fair Work Commission disagreed, backing her employer over how she treated her own team.
In a decision handed down on July 2, 2026, the Commission dismissed an unfair dismissal claim by a Lifestyle and Engagement Manager at a not-for-profit aged care provider, ruling her employer had a valid reason to let her go: how she treated her own staff.
The worker joined Port Stephens Veterans and Citizens Aged Care Ltd, trading as Harbourside Port Stephens, in January 2025. She was dismissed on November 21, 2025 with four weeks' pay in lieu of notice. She argued the dismissal was harsh, unjust and unreasonable. Her employer said it was fair. The Commission sided with the employer.
Staff turnover set things off. Two activities officers on her team quit in October 2025 and, in exit interviews, said they left because of her. Soon after, following a resident barbecue, two more team members were in tears and said they wanted to resign. That would have cut the activities team in half in a single month. The employer opened an investigation.
Three team members gave consistent accounts to the Commission. They said the manager yelled at them and spoke rudely, and that her abrupt manner often left staff in tears. In one incident, an employee whose anxiety and depression medication had been doubled - affecting her skin - was asked, "what's wrong with your skin?"...
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