Fair Work Commission Dismisses ‘Plumber’s Crack’ Claim as Unmeritorious
The Fair Work Commission has thrown out an unfair dismissal claim from a casual Woolworths employee, who alleged he was fired after being told to cover up his exposed buttocks—a condition commonly known as a "plumber's crack."
Deputy President Alan Colman ruled that the employee was never actually dismissed.
Woolworths confirmed that the worker continued to take shifts after filing the claim before eventually stopping attendance altogether. The employee did not attend the scheduled telephone hearing.
Colman noted this was the worker’s fifth application in two years, describing the case as unmeritorious and a burden on the commission's rising workload. He stated that such speculative claims, often filed in pursuit of a settlement, waste resources and disadvantage respondents and other applicants with legitimate cases.
The commission has seen a 70% increase in cases over three years, with nearly 55,000 expected in the current financial year.