The Workplace Relations Commission found Tara Stepala’s complaint against Saint John Of God, Community Services Clg not well founded. The decision was dated 25 March 2022.
Stepala challenged the employer’s refusal of her request to take parental leave for 19.5 hours a week. She said the alternatives she proposed were not addressed and she was left without a clear response. The employer said her Social Care Leader role required full-time management presence and it could not approve the arrangement for operational reasons.
The officer found the employer’s policy allowed flexible patterns of parental leave with the employer’s agreement and approval. The employer had not breached the Act and was entitled to refuse Stepala’s proposal for operational reasons; the complaint failed.