Two related companies, and a director who s-xually harassed teenage employees, have been fined a total of $290,000 for workplace safety breaches, with their failings including the absence of a specific reporting process in their online bullying and harassment policy.
Court Services Victoria (CSV) has been convicted and ordered to pay nearly $400,000 in penalties, in relation to a toxic workplace culture that contributed to the suicide death of a lawyer and to other workers taking stress leave.
Employers have been urged to manage rosters and workloads in ways that reduce the risk of fatigue, after a second organisation was convicted over the car-crash death of a worker who had worked for 17 hours straight.
A court has thrown out a worker's claim that an employer negligently exposed her to workplace bullying, finding some of the alleged acts of bullying involved efforts to maintain safety standards and enforce lawful directions.
A company director has been handed a $13,000 costs and charity bill for ignoring and then screaming at and intimidating a workplace health and safety investigator, who was attempting to serve a notice for the production of documents relating to suspected safety contraventions.