Employees admitted they would 'skip through it' while managing the casino floor
A Queensland tribunal has ruled that letting employees complete compliance training while working doesn't count as reasonable steps to prevent harassment.
The January 31, 2026 decision in Loquias v The Star Entertainment Group has sent ripples through HR departments, not because sexual harassment cases are unusual, but because of what the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission said about how companies deliver their training.
Olivia Loquias was 21 and working as a casino games dealer when her manager, John Dwyer, began sexually harassing her. Over several months in 2020 and 2021, he touched her face and pinched her arm without permission, made explicit comments about her body, and told her she wouldn't look pretty if she frowned. When she reported a previous harassment incident involving other managers, Dwyer told her he "would have done a lot worse" to her.
The Star appeared to have its compliance house in order. The company had a detailed Equal Employment Opportunity Policy, a Code of Conduct, and formal misconduct procedures. Every employee had to complete online training modules covering sexual harassment every two years, including programs called "Do the Right Thing" and "Code of Conduct."
But the tribunal found a critical flaw in execution. Dwyer admitted during testimony that he and other managers would rush through the modules while simultaneously managing the casino floor. "As...
What the Department of Justice’s 2025 FCA Recoveries Signal for 2026: Health Care, Cyber, and Customs The DOJ and relators’ bar continues to aggressively deploy the False Claims Act across a varie...