Adelaide. A speech pathologist claimed she was forced to resign after safety and workplace concerns were ignored. The Fair Work Commission found she resigned voluntarily and dismissed her claim.
Where: Roma
Case name: Brooke Ploughman v The Trustee For VHSWQ Unit Trust [2025] FWC 2423
Date of decision: 18 August 2025
Link to full case: Click here to view decision
Who: Brooke Ploughman, speech pathologist in Roma providing services to remote communities
What: Claimed she was forced to resign after raising safety and workplace concerns
Outcome: FWC upheld employer’s jurisdictional objection. Found she resigned and was not dismissed
Legal Principle/s:
• A resignation is not a dismissal unless it is at the employer’s initiative or the employee had no real choice but to resign.
• Concerns about safety and management practices did not meet the high threshold for a forced resignation.
Commentary: This case shows the difficulty of proving a forced resignation. Even where safety and procedural concerns exist, an employee must demonstrate they had no reasonable alternative but to resign.