the Applicant v the Caroline Chisholm Society
What happened
the Applicant brought an application for an unfair dismissal remedy against the Caroline Chisholm Society. The Fair Work Commission considered jurisdictional objections raised by the Respondent. The Applicant’s income exceeded the high-income threshold for unfair dismissal claims, and she was covered by a Modern Award. The Caroline Chisholm Society is a not-for-profit organisation.
What was decided
The Fair Work Commission dismissed the jurisdictional objections. Deputy President Bell found that the Applicant’s application could proceed despite exceeding the high-income threshold. The Commission did not make any findings regarding the merits of the unfair dismissal claim itself. The decision states, 'the jurisdictional objection is dismissed'.
What it means for employers
Employers should be aware that even if an employee's income exceeds the high-income threshold, a claim for unfair dismissal may still be valid. The Commission will assess jurisdictional objections before proceeding with a claim.
What it means for employees
Employees who believe they have been unfairly dismissed should seek legal advice, even if their income is above the high-income threshold. The Commission may still hear the case and assess its merits.
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.
Send your details to Liquid Employment Lawyers
Liquid Employment Lawyers is a paid legal service and our referral partner, not free Fair Work advice. FairWork Mate may receive a referral fee from Liquid Legal. Tell them what has happened and a member of their team will call you back. For free general guidance, use our tools or call the Fair Work Ombudsman on 13 13 94.
Prefer to read first? About Liquid Employment Lawyers · Not sure if you need a lawyer? Read the legal help guides
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.
FairWork Mate AI
This is one decision. Pro reads all of them.
Free case pages cite the top 250 decisions. Pro opens the full Fair Work Commission and Federal Court library, cross-references your own situation against it, and cites the decision behind every answer — plus document upload, so it can read your letter or contract line by line. 150 questions a month, cancel anytime.
Renews monthly at A$29.99 until you cancel. By continuing you agree to our Terms.
Get notified on new Fair Work cases
Free email alerts when we publish new underpayment decisions, penalty orders, and workplace law updates.