Case Studies
Experience Across Various Industries
With a broad range of experience, we’ve likely worked on a case similar to yours. This means better representation and advice that’s personalised to your industry.
Real Estate Case Study
Our client worked for a real estate agent in based in Melbourne. She had worked for the employer for many years, starting as a work experience employee while at school. She eventually secured fulltime employment which became part-time when she started her young family.
During the Victorian lockdowns due to the Covid-19 pandemic of 2020, our client’s employer decided to make her redundant. It was the employer’s strategy that making our client redundant was the easy way out to reduce the workforce. Unfortunately for the business owner, he was unaware of the amount of redundancy that our client was entitled to.
Our client had begun to seek new employment together with notifying her bank, etc she had lost her job. The business owner then invited her back, essentially “reversing” the redundancy to avoid having to pay her out.
Our client engaged Close Consulting to act for her and pursue her entitlements. Despite the employer engaging the services of lawyers (at considerable cost to the business) to try and avoid their obligations, Close Consulting successfully argued for our client’s case and secured her full entitlements together with a statement of service and deed of Settlement.
Public Services Case Study
Our client was a long serving employee (over twenty years) with a major Victorian government department with a high community profile. She suffered a workplace injury to her ankle which required surgery end rendered her unfit for duty.
Due to the nature of the injury, our client submitted a WorkCover claim which was accepted by the insurer and the employer.
The employer through poor administrative practices delayed her having surgery and this meant extending her absence from the workplace beyond the 52 week “obligation period” with a WorkCover claim. Her surgeon had determined that she would return to full capacity however, she was still terminated by the employer.
Despite seeking assistance from her union, who told her there was not much they could do to help her, our client then engaged Close Consulting who filed a claim for Unfair Dismissal against the government agency. Our client’s claim was resolved in her favour together with a five figure ex-gratia settlement payment.
Energy & Utilities Case Study
Our client had been employed by a large energy/utilities’ provider for over five years. Towards the end of her final year’s, the employer significantly altered her position description and duties which involved increasing her workload and performance targets, respectively.
This was done without any consultation between our client and her employer. When she challenged these changes to her work duties and accountabilities, she was met with hostility by her management team.
Feeling helpless, intimidated, and bullied by the company she dedicated many years to, she engaged Close Consulting to represent her and to try and resolve the issues created by her employer.
Close Consulting negotiated with the employer and entered into a mutual separation package between our client and the company. A deed of release allowed our client to receive her entitlements, a statement of service together with an ex-gratia payment to help her move on and start over.
Our client’s mental health and wellbeing was vastly improved by the positive resolution.