No Comments

Employment Law – Ex-Employee Restraint Clause Unenforceable    

Employment Law – Background

The Victorian Court of Appeal reaffirmed a decision that an employer was unable to enforce a restraint clause against an employee. The accounting firm’s breach of an employment contract consequently ended its right to enforce a restraint clause against the accountant. The case highlights the importance of carefully assessing any differing views between the employee and employer in employment law.

Employment Law – Facts

In essence:

  • the employee-accountant signed an employment contract in 2012
  • the contract contained a restraint clause that operated for 12 months. Notably, the terms were found to be reasonable by judges in earlier cases
  • the accounting firm expanded its business over 2015-16
  • the accounting firm denied the accountant certain bonuses he believed he was entitled to
  • as a result, the accountant requested payment to which the employer refused
  • the accountant took a week’s leave. A few days after he returned, he informed the employer he considered the refusal to pay the bonuses as a repudiation of the employment contract
  • especially relevant, the account set up his own business. Consequently, the employer sought to enforce the restraint clause

Employment Law – Decision

The Victorian Court of Appeal:

  • concluded that the accountant-employee’s interpretation of the bonus clauses was correct
  • held that the organisational changes could not justify the refusal to pay hence he should have been paid the bonuses
  • found that in conclusion, the refusal to pay was a breach of the employment contract. Consequently, the right to enforce the restraint clause ended

Employment Law – Tips for Employers

Our Matthews Folbigg Workplace Solutions employment law team recommends employers: [...]  READ MORE →

No Comments

Employment Law – New Employer Liable in Confidential Information Case

Employment Law – Background

The following is a recent example of where a new employer was stung for the wrongs a new employee committed against their former employer …

Employment Law – The Case

In essence:

  • Lifeplan and Foresters were competitors in the business of funds management and the provision of investment products, principally for the purpose of funeral plans
  • whilst employed by Lifeplan, a manager emailed confidential Lifeplan documents to his personal email address and used these documents to prepare a business plan which he then presented to Foresters with the assistance of another manager
  • at the same time, both managers solicited the business of several funeral companies and service providers in order to secure business for Foresters and themselves
  • the managers used Lifeplan contracts, brochures and other marketing materials to prepare similar documents for themselves, and utilised Lifeplan’s printing company to generate this material
  • Lifeplan commenced proceedings against the managers and Foresters (who by this time employed the managers)

Employment Law – The Decision

The court on appeal held:

  • there could be “no doubt that the board of Foresters was actually aware, had actual knowledge, of the taking and using in breach of duty of confidential information”
  • the managers, “with the full knowledge of Foresters, dishonestly breached their duty by, amongst other things utilising confidential information to prepare a business plan for the consideration of the board of Foresters”
  • the Board of Foresters actively used the business plan in its decision-making process and, subsequently, to monitor the performance of the joint venture
  • the business plan disclosed “detailed information, some of which expressly and plainly came from Lifeplan’s records… No honest and reasonable person, not shutting his or her eyes to the obvious, could conclude other than that the document was based on Lifeplan’s confidential information brought by current employees of Lifeplan”

Employment Law – The Sting

Foresters’ knowledge and even participation in the manager’s breaches (contrary to the manager’s statutory and fiduciary duties under the Corporations Act), rendered it accessorily liable for the breaches pursuant to section 79 of that legislation. [...]  READ MORE →

No Comments

Misuse of Confidential Information – Evidence relied upon after the fact

In the recent decision of Finemore v CMIB Insurance Services Pty Limited [2016] FWC 8517, an employer successfully relied upon evidence of misuse of its confidential information discovered following the termination of employment, in order to defend itself from an unfair dismissal claim.

The Facts

The Applicant had been employed by the Respondent (a small business employer) for approximately six years, most recently in the role of Account Executive. The Applicant was employed under a written employment contract containing several post-employment obligations including an obligation to preserve the Respondent’s confidential information [...]  READ MORE →