A former Australia Post employee with more than three decades of service has failed in his attempt to overturn his dismissal after the Fair Work Commission found the postal service had valid reasons to terminate his employment.
The Newcastle-based worker was dismissed last year after a series of workplace incidents, including making an unauthorised stop at a KFC outlet while driving a postal delivery van and leaving work 30 minutes before the end of his shift without approval.
According to a report by the Daily Mail, the man challenged the decision before the Fair Work Commission, arguing that his dismissal was unfair, harsh and unreasonable.
The publication said the evidence presented during the proceedings showed that the employee’s conduct extended beyond the KFC incident. A supervisor testified that when questioned about his whereabouts, the worker initially refused to respond before telling the supervisor to “make an appointment.”
It was further reported that Australia Post said that the employee had remarked he intended retiring within the next two years and planned to “have some fun” before leaving. The employer argued this involved deliberately “playing games” with the organisation and disregarding instructions from management.
According to the UK publication, the commission heard that over the course of a month the worker accumulated 19 unexplained absences and failed to respond to 17 messages sent by managers
It was said that the employee claimed he believed the text messages could have been fraudulent. However, the commissioner found the explanation unconvincing, noting that the worker had failed to provide a satisfactory reason for not simply contacting his workplace to verify whether the messages were legitimate.
In his defence, the man submitted medical evidence showing that he had been diagnosed with an acute stress reaction. In response, the employee explained that they accommodated him by reducing his workload and easing time pressures.
Despite acknowledging that the employee’s age and lengthy service could make it difficult for him to secure alternative employment, the commissioner concluded that the seriousness of the misconduct justified the dismissal.
“A meaningful employment relationship cannot exist when an employee demonstrates an ongoing failure and refusal to co-operate with their employer,” said the commissioner in the ruling.
It was further reported that Australia Post welcomed the commission’s ruling.
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