SACKED WORKER CLAIMS JOBKEEPER DISCREPANCY

A WOMAN has launched an unfair dismissal claim against a Gold Coast plastic surgery business that has made her redundant, claiming the practice applied for JobKeeper payments for other staff.

It is believed to be one of the first JobKeeper-related unfair dismissal claims before the Fair Work Commission.

Lisa Shrimpton, a patient coordinator and beauty therapist for Sheree Moko Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery in Robina, had worked for the business for almost six years.

Ms Shrimpton, 32, claims on April 8, the day the JobKeeper legislation was introduced, she was told her position was being terminated on redundancy grounds.

She says she was told it was a result of the government stopping elective surgery, although Dr Moko was still receiving skin cancer patient referrals. Ms Shrimpton claims another staff member has since been moved into her position and the practice has applied for JobKeeper payments for other staff. Ms Shrimpton’s lawyer, Giri Sivaraman of Maurice Blackburn, said they would claim it was not a genuine redundancy, because elective surgery would restart and Ms Shrimpton’s work would still need to be done.

Ms Shrimpton, who was first stood down on annual leave on March 31, says she was told her termination was not a reflection on her work performance.

She claims when she asked the practice’s business manager why she was being stood down and not others, he told her it was because she was paid the most.

In an April 1 letter, the manager said the stand-down was temporary and they looked forward to her return when they were able to resume business as usual. Ms Shrimpton says she asked the manager on April 6 if she could be stood down and paid only the JobKeeper payment, and return to work when required.

She claims the manager told her he did not intend to apply for JobKeeper payment for her, as he was only applying for it for staff currently working and whom he planned to keep on.

“They had the option to keep me and they chose not to,’’ she said.

Ms Shrimpton said she had considered Dr Moko and the manager to be friends, even inviting them to her wedding last year.

The practice did not respond to a request for comment.