The insurer closed the claim while she was still certified unfit for work
An armed robbery, a workers' comp claim quietly closed, then dismissal. The FWC sided with Endeavour Group on 16 April 2026.
Emma Turner was a casual team member at Dan Murphy's in Ballina, New South Wales. She had worked there for more than three years when, on 18 June 2025, she was threatened with a knife during an armed robbery at the store.
She completed her next rostered shift on 24 June 2025 but became distressed towards the end of her shift on 25 June 2025. Turner told her employer, Endeavour Group Limited, she no longer felt safe working evenings and requested day shifts. On 3 July 2025, she arrived for a rostered day shift but was told it had been allocated to a different employee. She worked a day shift on 5 July 2025 and was certified unfit for work from 9 July 2025. She did not return when her medical certificates expired.
Contact between the parties was limited over the following months. After an unanswered phone call and text message on 3 November 2025, a new store manager emailed Turner on 7 November 2025. Turner's reply was unambiguous: "At this time, I do not have any intention to return to my role at Dan Murphy's Ballina." She had by then re-established herself in legal practice, working four days a week as a solicitor.
On 19 November 2025, Endeavour terminated Turner's employment, citing her inability to provide work availability or a return-to-work date. Turner filed an unfair...
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