The Workplace Relations Commission recommended that a worker accept a two-week unpaid suspension and final written warning after finding the sanction reasonable. In a recommendation dated 28 July 2026, the WRC considered the worker’s dispute under section 13 of the Industrial Relations Act 1969.
The worker sought repayment of two weeks’ wages and a downgrade of the warning, arguing that the suspension was unjustly harsh. The employer said the worker brought drain unblocker to work in a bottle that leaked, exposing a service user to the chemical. The worker said the spill was accidental.
The WRC found the disciplinary process fair and accepted that the incident was serious. The employer initially imposed a one-month unpaid suspension and a final written warning; on appeal, it upheld the warning and reduced the suspension to two weeks. The WRC recommended that the worker accept that appeal outcome and consider the matter at an end.