Unfair Dismissal?

Take it

Ok I am currently in Australia on a working holiday visa. I have found a really good office job working as an Administrations Assistant, dealing with the over flow of calls, anyway recently it has been quiet and there is two (me, male and a girl) of us on the over flow so we are basically doing nothing all day. A decision had to be made as to who should leave!

Now the other girl doesn’t do as much as I do (I am not just saying this) the list of duties I do go from: filing, faxing cancellations, booking board rooms, updating there internal database and sending off the new policies (all these duties are things i do and that the other girl doesn't) anything the other girl does I do as well.

The decision was to let me go, which didn't only confuse and shock me but it confused and shocked my team leader and the other members of the team, my team leader told me she wasn't involved in the decision which p!ssed her right off and that she would have let the other girl go, but off the record she told me I was let go because I am a man and the marketing manager wants all girls to answer the overflow of calls!!!!!

I am very disappointed as I have never been let go of a company before and I pride myself on any work I do! I have been told by the guy who made the decision it was purely on the fact of who could stay longer which is bull as we are both on a travelling visa and I am applying for a defacto visa (which will allow me to stay for another 2 years then apply for residency) when the other girl is just travelling around!

Do have a case for gender discrimination? Is this unfair dismissal?

Bluetonic

I doubt there's too many experts on Australian Employment Law here.

Try the Citizens Advice Bureaux in whatever region your in, mind you if your on a working holiday visa you shouldn't be getting too hung up about it.

Take it

I am on a working holiday visa but this was an opportunity to start my career in Australia even the MD talk about moving me in to the marketing department i know there isn't too many people who are expert on Australian law i was just posting for a bit of a rant and maybe some advise on what other people would do

GP

why not go to the MD and ask him to put you in the marketing dept. now that you're "available" ??

FlutterinBantam

Unfortunately you seem to have gotten the bad end of a management failing, and lack of balls.... The person who does less but makes more noise gets treated better than the quiet hardworking one.... Welcome to the world of commerce my friend...... now go out and have a Carlton Cold and start looking for a new job.... good luck

WhiteWashMan

i wouldnt even bother.

get another job.

doesnt your working holiday only allow you to work for a certain amount of time?

besides, i do know australian law was changed recently to allow people to hire and fire more or less at will, although im not really that knowledgable.
sounded very much like a more US style economy.

right now, you cant prove anything, you wont be around long enough, and youre ina crap job.

yo umay as well just move on, but make sure you get a great reference from your supporters in there.

seamus

In this country you could well have brought them to the equality authority, but like others I know nothing about Aussie employement law.

As WWM says, move on and make use of the allies you have in the old place.

chump

seamus wrote:

In this country you could well have brought them to the equality authority...

Certainly coudn't have I believe.
http://oasis.gov.ie/employment/losing_your_job/unfair_dismissal.html

The Rights Commissioner is the one to call.
Anyway so many caveats in the Unfair Dismissal law in Ireland...

Best bet to move on... I was about to say before I finished reading your post was that you were probably let go because you were male. At least your supervisor was honest with you...

seamus

chump wrote:

Certainly coudn't have I believe.
http://oasis.gov.ie/employment/losing_your_job/unfair_dismissal.html.

Heh, I always get that one wrong. That's interesting, and quite weird.

gerrycollins

of course like the rest i know sweet dam all of the law of the land down under but dont forget people he was not fired/dismissed,he was made redundant,you said the work was slack,most companies place comments in the contract for less hours or redundancy if work slows down and if that happened in ireland once the company follows the law of the land there isnt a thing that can be done about it,as for an off the record comment like that it would never stand up in court and TBH i think she was just trying to soften the blow in her own way
move on learn from it welcome to life

k974

you were probably there on a casual basis altough working full time doubt its worth doing anything about it

Sandy2004

Boss sacked ya cause he knew you wouldnt put up a fight cause you are "traveller" and wouldn't stay to stick any case out. I worked in several different places (incld Aus govt) and I was treated with the utmost respect. Even begged to stay and offered sponsorship, payrise etc.! (one exception was a woman in an agency when I called in sick, shouted abuse that I was prob still drunk cause us Irish are all the same, drunken *****!) Theres good and bad everywhere... If you have the balls to fight, go ahead.. you will get the backing you require.. If not, Next!!!

Each experience in life, happens for a reason, if you do not learn from it, it will come around again in a different form until you do........