A long-serving postal worker in Newcastle, Australia, has been unsuccessful in his attempt to be reinstated after being dismissed for stopping at KFC during his lunch break in his delivery van. The employee, who had dedicated over 30 years to Australia Post, was terminated last year. Despite arguing that his termination was unfair, the Fair Work Commission upheld Australia Post’s decision, citing multiple instances of misconduct, including the KFC incident.
The incident at KFC occurred on May 7, 2025, when the worker visited the fast-food restaurant in his delivery vehicle without authorization during an unauthorized hour-long break. Although he was granted a 30-minute unpaid lunch break at 10:40 am, he failed to inform his supervisor when he took his lunch break at a different time and location.
Furthermore, on the same day, the worker left work half an hour early without permission. When questioned about his whereabouts, he displayed rudeness towards his supervisor. Additionally, the postie had mentioned to his supervisor his intention to retire soon and have “fun” for the next two years, which involved disobeying superiors and ignoring managerial communications.
Over a short period, the worker accumulated nine unexplained absences and disregarded 17 messages from his managers. Despite claiming he thought the messages might have been a scam, he could not justify why he did not verify their authenticity by contacting his workplace.
The Fair Work Commission, despite the protection afforded to workers under the Right to Disconnect laws, supported Australia Post’s decision to terminate the employee due to the severity of his misconduct. The Commission noted the worker’s resistance to cooperate with his employer, which undermined the employment relationship.
Additionally, the worker presented medical certificates indicating he had been diagnosed with acute stress due to interactions with his employer. Australia Post responded by reducing his workload and time pressures. The Fair Work Commission ultimately sided with Australia Post, and the company expressed satisfaction with the Commission’s ruling.