Ext User(Alan Parkington)
25-01-2008, 12:34 AM
From
http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,23105142-5007132,00.html
A TELSTRA worker, sacked for taking part in a sex romp at a Sydney hotel
after a work Christmas party, has lost the right to receive compensation and
get her job back.
Carlie Streeter was sacked from her job at a Miranda Telstra store in
February last year after an investigation into a night of alcohol-fuelled
sex and partying with colleagues.
Telstra accused Ms Streeter of having sex with a male employee in the bath
tub of a hotel room at Cronulla's Rydges Hotel.
It was alleged another male employee was in the bath tub at the time when
the trio was interrupted by a female employee.
The two former male colleagues - Steve Hatzistergos and Aakash Sharma - also
lost their jobs over the scandal, along with another unnamed employee.
Bosses were alerted to the incident after another female employee made
complaints about Ms Streeter's behaviour on the night to a store manager.
Ms Streeter subsequently appealed against her dismissal and won her case.
But yesterday, Telstra won its own appeal against the ruling made in the
Australian Industrial Relations Commission (AIRC), which had ordered the
telco giant to reinstate Ms Streeter and pay her compensation for lost
earnings.
The successful appeal means Telstra has no obligation to give Ms Streeter
her job back or pay her compensation.
The decision, handed down by a full bench of the AIRC, ruled Ms Streeter's
termination was not harsh, unjust or unreasonable.
A Telstra spokeswoman last night said that Telstra welcomed the decision.
"We are pleased the Australian Industrial Relations Commission have upheld
our appeal," she said.
The sex-romp scandal ignited debate about the right of employers to sack
workers for bad behaviour while off the job.
In September last year a worker sacked by Allianz Australia Services,
following a drunken after-hours trivia night, won the right to a full bench
rehearing of his claim in the AIRC.
The AIRC had previously thrown out his unfair dismissal case, which followed
his sacking for threatening a manager with physical and sexual assault.
Ms Streeter has kept a low profile since her sexual exploits were revealed
by The Daily Telegraph in August.
Her lawyer Kelly Durant yesterday said his client was upset by the
commission's ruling and was keen to discuss whether she could launch a
further appeal in the Federal Court.
"Ms Streeter is unhappy about the decision and feels like justice hasn't
been served. This has been a long fight," he said.
"She understands that these are matters of law. But she's quite aggrieved by
the decision."
http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,23105142-5007132,00.html
A TELSTRA worker, sacked for taking part in a sex romp at a Sydney hotel
after a work Christmas party, has lost the right to receive compensation and
get her job back.
Carlie Streeter was sacked from her job at a Miranda Telstra store in
February last year after an investigation into a night of alcohol-fuelled
sex and partying with colleagues.
Telstra accused Ms Streeter of having sex with a male employee in the bath
tub of a hotel room at Cronulla's Rydges Hotel.
It was alleged another male employee was in the bath tub at the time when
the trio was interrupted by a female employee.
The two former male colleagues - Steve Hatzistergos and Aakash Sharma - also
lost their jobs over the scandal, along with another unnamed employee.
Bosses were alerted to the incident after another female employee made
complaints about Ms Streeter's behaviour on the night to a store manager.
Ms Streeter subsequently appealed against her dismissal and won her case.
But yesterday, Telstra won its own appeal against the ruling made in the
Australian Industrial Relations Commission (AIRC), which had ordered the
telco giant to reinstate Ms Streeter and pay her compensation for lost
earnings.
The successful appeal means Telstra has no obligation to give Ms Streeter
her job back or pay her compensation.
The decision, handed down by a full bench of the AIRC, ruled Ms Streeter's
termination was not harsh, unjust or unreasonable.
A Telstra spokeswoman last night said that Telstra welcomed the decision.
"We are pleased the Australian Industrial Relations Commission have upheld
our appeal," she said.
The sex-romp scandal ignited debate about the right of employers to sack
workers for bad behaviour while off the job.
In September last year a worker sacked by Allianz Australia Services,
following a drunken after-hours trivia night, won the right to a full bench
rehearing of his claim in the AIRC.
The AIRC had previously thrown out his unfair dismissal case, which followed
his sacking for threatening a manager with physical and sexual assault.
Ms Streeter has kept a low profile since her sexual exploits were revealed
by The Daily Telegraph in August.
Her lawyer Kelly Durant yesterday said his client was upset by the
commission's ruling and was keen to discuss whether she could launch a
further appeal in the Federal Court.
"Ms Streeter is unhappy about the decision and feels like justice hasn't
been served. This has been a long fight," he said.
"She understands that these are matters of law. But she's quite aggrieved by
the decision."