Australia Post dismisses NSW driver after unauthorised KFC trip

A postal driver employed by Australia Post in Newcastle, New South Wales, was dismissed after taking a company van to a KFC restaurant on his lunch break without permission. The Fair Work Commission found he was absent from duty for more than an hour on May 7, left work early, and failed to inform his supervisor of his whereabouts, describing his behaviour as “evasive.” The commission concluded the employee engaged in serious and wilful misconduct and rejected his appeal to be reinstated.

Australia Post argued the driver acted unreasonably and disrespectfully, and the deputy president of the commission, Tony Saunders, upheld the employer’s evidence, noting the driver’s attempts to avoid answering questions about his location.