Skip to main content
FairWorkMate
FWCFair Work Commission · 30 August 2025

[2025] FWC 1428

Citation: [2025] FWC 1428

What happened

the Applicant was employed as a panel beater by Sydney Luxury Smash Repairs Pty Ltd (SLSR) from October 2023 until October 2024. His employment ended when he received a text message from the Respondent dismissing him. Following this, the Applicant filed workers’ compensation claims and an unfair dismissal application. SLSR’s insurer accepted liability for the workers’ compensation claims, but SLSR believed the Applicant falsely claimed a back injury. The dismissal occurred after the Applicant texted SLSR about a back injury and provided medical certificates. SLSR claimed the dismissal was due to unauthorised absences and poor work performance, allegations the Applicant denied.

What was decided

The Fair Work Commission found that the Applicant was unfairly dismissed by SLSR. The Commission determined there was no valid reason for the dismissal, noting the dismissal was linked to a temporary absence due to injury. SLSR did not follow proper procedures, and the dismissal was unjust and unreasonable. The Commission was not satisfied that the Applicant took unauthorised absences or had poor work performance. Compensation will be determined at a later date.

Want this applied to your situation?

Reading the decision is free. FairWork Mate goes further — it reads the full case library and applies precedents like this one to your specific facts, citing the cases as it reasons. General information, not a guaranteed outcome or legal advice.

unfair-dismissal

Every statement above is drawn from the published decision. Read the original here:

https://www.fwc.gov.au/documents/decisionssigned/pdf/2025fwc1428.pdf

Want more cases like this?

FairWork Mate tracks Fair Work Ombudsman, Fair Work Commission and Federal Court decisions across Australia. The AI advisor answers plain-English questions grounded on the full corpus — awards cited, industry, penalty amounts and affected employee counts — with a citation to the underlying decision on every answer.

Individual case summaries on this site are free. Full-corpus advisor access is a paid product — Business Solo from $99/mo, 50% off your first 3 months for the first 100 signups.

Get notified on new Fair Work cases

Free email alerts when we publish new underpayment decisions, penalty orders, and workplace law updates.

Free forever. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

This summary was drafted from the published decision and reviewed before publishing. It is general information, not legal advice. For your specific situation, speak to the Fair Work Ombudsman (13 13 94) or a qualified lawyer. About these summaries & corrections →

← All cases