The WRC recommended that an employer assign a trainee paramedic to an internship placement within an hour’s commute of her home, after upholding her industrial relations claim. The recommendation was dated 27 July 2016.
The worker, a trainee ambulance paramedic, said the proposed placement involved a three-hour return journey and meant she could not complete her training while managing her family responsibilities. Her trade union sought a placement within an hour of home. The employer did not attend the hearing and sent a letter objecting to the investigation and saying it had not received correct notice.
The WRC found that the employer had received notice of the dispute and had not objected within the required period. The adjudication officer relied on the worker’s uncontested evidence and upheld her claim in full. The WRC recommended that the employer arrange an internship placement within an hour’s commute within five weeks and immediately negotiate the details with the worker or her trade union.