an Australian lawyer's tumblelog of things (some about law, most not) that you might otherwise have missed
email to: stumblng [dot] tumblr [at] gmail [dot] com
Mar 18
it’s only MAR 18, but the Stumblng Tumblr’s already predicting that this could well be the Australian news story of the year; it combines a number of elements that are quintessentially Australian
Nathan Anderson worked for Crown Melbourne in Melbourne
he was a mad fan of the Essendon Bombers Aussie Rules football team (Essendon’s a Melbourne suburb)
Essendon was playing West Coast Eagles on SEP 1 2007 in Perth
the game had especial significance for Bombers fans for two reasons: it would be be the last game in which the team was coached by Kevin Sheedy and the last game in which James Hird was playing for the team
on AUG 27 2007, Anderson went to a doctor, who gave him a certificate saying that he would be unfit to attend work on SEP 1, because he would be so stressed by the fact that it was Sheedy’s and Hird’s last game that day
Anderson gave the certificate to Crown Melbourne, which told him in advance that it was unacceptable
Anderson missed work that day anyway, having travelled to Perth for the game
on his return to work on SEP 5, 2007, he was sacked by Crown Melbourne and he sued it, alleging that he’d been illegally dismissed, because an employer cannot sack an employee for a temporary absence due to illness
the Federal Magistrate’s Court dismissed Anderson’s claim, on the basis that he had no “diagnosable” medical condition on the relevant day
the Stumblng Tumblr’s taken the above from an item in today’s Australian Financial Review, page 9; unfortunately, the story’s not online
another consequence of the story’s not being online is that you can’t see the fabulous cartoon that accompanies it; the cartoon shows a man sitting on a bed holding his head; he’s wearing his Bombers scarf; a woman standing in front of him says, “Not going to work?” and he replies, “No, I’m feeling Sheedy and my head Hirds”
the image above is from here; it shows some action in an Aussie Rules game (not involving the Bombers)