From chucking sickies to “rude” employees, there were a number of clashes within the legal profession’s workplaces. Here are the top 10 Fair Work Commission and workplace disputes of 2025.
The last 12 months saw plenty of workplace bust-ups, fights for promotions, and terminations across the profession.
Here, Lawyers Weekly takes a look back at the top 10 of those stories, starting with a trainee lawyer who went bankrupt while trying to pursue proceedings against his former workplace.
1. Trainee lawyer bankrupts following dust-up with former law firm
A lawyer’s efforts to derail bankruptcy proceedings brought by his former workplace have fallen apart, including an attempt to have the court appoint local regulatory bodies to provide expert opinion.
2. Lawyer fired over chucking sickie for AFL Gather Round weekend
A Melbourne lawyer and former Greens local government candidate was terminated after his employers discovered he had faked an illness to attend the AFL Gather Round in Adelaide.
3. Court security manager sacked after prematurely granting person’s freedom
A court security manager challenged his dismissal through the Fair Work Commission after his employer sacked him for releasing a person in custody too early.
4. Law firm restrains former employee’s new lawyers
A boutique practice convinced a court to restrain the solicitors who were acting for one of its former employees on a confidentiality issue.
5. ‘Rude, belligerent’ grad lawyer flings insults at supervisors
A graduate lawyer who applied for an order to stop bullying in his workplace gave evidence that he did not care whether one of his supervisors was “dead or alive” and said he “should have been nastier”.
6. ‘Repugnant’: Lawyer forced into sharing bed, ‘bizarre’ move watch
A rookie solicitor endured marathon shifts, was forced to share a bed with her director, and was made to sit through an ice hockey movie at 1am as part of her job “role”.
7. ‘Bewildering’: Prosecutor turns to Fair Work for $1 raise
The Victorian Office of Public Prosecutions was criticised for its “baffling and frustrating” lack of progression guidelines, which forced a highly skilled prosecutor to commence litigation for a $1 raise.
8. ‘A work of fiction’: Slater & Gordon to investigate ‘disparaging’ firm-wide email
An extraordinary firm-wide email circulated within Slater & Gordon, purportedly sent by its outgoing chief people officer, is set to be reported to the police.
9. Solicitor alleges she was fired after maternity leave discussion
A former boutique law firm employee has alleged she was terminated because she was pregnant and had asked about maternity leave.
10. NSW solicitor tries to have previous workplace wound up
In the five years since he was escorted by police out of a Parramatta law firm, a solicitor has launched proceeding after proceeding but has consistently come up short. His latest attempt to have the legal practice wound up was just tossed by the Federal Court.
