He used his employer's insurance for the job and didn't disclose it to WorkCover
A plumber on workers' compensation did a side job using his employer's insurance without permission, and lost his unfair dismissal claim.
The Fair Work Commission ruled on February 17, 2026 that Project Air Melbourne acted lawfully when it summarily dismissed Glenn Hughes after discovering he had performed unauthorised plumbing work whilst receiving WorkCover benefits and operating under medical capacity restrictions.
Hughes had worked for the Melbourne-based small business for 3.4 years when he suffered a workplace injury toward the end of 2024. But on February 10, 2025, whilst still on restricted duties, he completed external plumbing work for a friend at a property in Berwick, and signed the VBA Compliance Certificate as a licenced practitioner employed by Project Air, relying on the company's public liability insurance.
He never asked for permission. And when completing his WorkCover certificates of incapacity from January to July 2025, Hughes failed to tick the disclosure box indicating he had engaged in work outside his employment. His explanation at the hearing: his wife helped complete the forms, and he was told "they just needed to be signed off and sent—so that's what he arranged to do."
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