WRC rejects unfair dismissal complaint against PharmEng

The Workplace Relations Commission rejected Roberto Resende’s unfair dismissal complaint against PharmEng Limited, finding the agency was not his employer for the purposes of the claim. The decision was dated 11 December 2024. Resende said he received no warning or reasons before his dismissal and was not given fair procedures. He said a third-party client directed his day-to-day work and made the decision to end his employment, which PharmEng communicated. The WRC found PharmEng was a licensed employment agency, while the law treats the hirer as the employer in an agency worker’s unfair dismissal claim. The complaint was found not well founded and no award was recorded.