While the employer indicated a pattern of troubling behavior, the worker claimed she was denied basic procedural rights in the termination process.

Background of the case

The worker started at Yandina Hotel as a casual kitchen assistant in December 2016 before the current owners took over in July 2017.

Over the course of almost seven years, she progressed to become the manager of the bottle shop, working regular shifts of around 30 hours a week, spread over six days.

As bottle store manager, she supervised several staff members, including retail assistants. She gave work instructions both in person and via a staff Facebook page. The general manager supervised his work.

In mid-2024, two staff members separately raised serious complaints about worker behavior at work. They said he used threatening behaviour, intimidation tactics and abusive language.