Her contract ended in December - but a wrong date on her exit papers said otherwise
A sessional lecturer filed her unfair dismissal claim months too late, and the Fair Work Commission dismissed it before the merits were ever heard.
The decision, handed down on September 2, 2026, is a reminder that the date an engagement ends is not something employers can afford to leave vague - and that one payroll slip can hand a departing worker an argument.
The lecturer had taught IT subjects on a sessional basis at the James Cook University Brisbane Campus, run by Russo Higher Education Pty Ltd, since May 2023. Each trimester she signed a fresh contract - eight in all, on her account - covering the same teaching, tutoring and marking.
Her final contract ran to December 20, 2025, and she was not offered another. From late August 2025, campus staff told her by email there was nothing to allocate. On December 17, 2025, a course coordinator confirmed every subject had been assigned and added, “We will, of course, keep you in mind for future opportunities.”
Months later, on May 4, 2026, she received a Certificate of Service and an Employment Separation Certificate. Both put her end date at April 27, 2026. She lodged an unfair dismissal claim on May 22, 2026, arguing those certificates were the first clear signal that the relationship was over - and that her claim therefore fell inside the 21-day window the Fair Work Act allows.
The employer disagreed. The dismissal took effect on December...
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