What happens when you stack 33 allegations and skip performance management
The University of Melbourne fired a professor with 27.5 years of service for serious misconduct. The Fair Work Commission ordered her back on February 23, 2026.
Dr Angela Paladino had been employed by the University since July 1997, advancing through academic ranks to tenured Professor and Director of the Williams Centre for Learning Advancement (WCLA). She was also elected by her peers to Vice-President of the University's Academic Board, a role she held immediately before her dismissal. At the time her employment ended on February 5, 2025, she was earning $330,669 a year.
The University's case rested on 33 separate allegations spanning several years, covering conduct described as rude, micromanaging, dishonest, divisive, insubordinate and bullying. The argument was that while any individual incident may have been minor, the pattern as a whole amounted to serious misconduct. Three staff members made formal complaints, an external investigator was commissioned, and an independent review was conducted before the University ultimately terminated Dr Paladino's employment.
That independent reviewer found "none of the conduct considered in isolation was likely to be considered serious misconduct," but concluded it was open to the University to find that the totality did. The University pressed ahead.
Deputy President Masson of the Fair Work Commission, handing down his decision on February 23, 2026,...
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