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A former senior project manager is set to file a claim in Federal Court against Perth Airport, saying she “had to choose [her] health over a system that refused to acknowledge reasonable boundaries”.
As first reported by The Australian Financial Review (AFR), former senior project manager at Perth Airport, Jessica Sertis, is launching proceedings in the Federal Court of Australia, alleging she had to work up to 75-hour weeks.
AFR reported that the airport required her to take on the duties of two full-time managers, for a remuneration package of $208,000.
Speaking to HR Leader, Maurice Blackburn Lawyers principal Patrick Turner (pictured) – who is representing Sertis – said that workers like her go above and beyond to get the job done, “but that shouldn’t be exploited”.
“Too many employers believe that the 38-hour week is just a guideline,” he said.
“Work/life balance isn’t a fad or a trend. It’s fundamental to worker safety and to meeting our obligations to our families and those for whom we care.”
“It is critical that workers exercise their rights when they are required to work unreasonable additional hours.”
The looming proceedings follow a “significant increase” in serious claims being brought over the past decade, according to research from SafeWork Australia. Interestingly, such a rise coincides with an increase in the number of employees who believe that their businesses are prioritising health and safety (up to 80 per cent this year, compared to 70 per cent in 2023, according to COS).
Sertis said, in a statement, that leaving her role at Perth Airport was “one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make”.
“It was my dream job – a position I worked tirelessly to earn. But the relentless pressure to work excessive overtime, often without support or regard for personal wellbeing, became unsustainable,” she said.
“I gave everything I had, but in the end, I had to choose my health over a system that refused to acknowledge reasonable boundaries.”
What made it even more devastating, Sertis went on, “was knowing that the airport’s demands weren’t just unfair, they were unlawful”.
“The consistent expectation to work well beyond contracted hours, without appropriate compensation or consideration, breached workplace laws designed to protect employees,” she said.
“And, like so many women, I felt the disproportionate burden of these expectations. Overtime culture reinforces a system where success comes at the cost of personal sacrifice.”
“No one should have to choose between their career and their wellbeing.”
In a statement provided to HR Leader, a spokesperson for Perth Airport said that the airport “places the highest priority on ensuring the health and safety of all our team members”.
“If a claim is lodged, it will be rigorously defended by Perth Airport,” the spokesperson said.
Jerome Doraisamy is the managing editor of Momentum Media’s professional services suite, encompassing Lawyers Weekly, HR Leader, Accountants Daily, and Accounting Times. He has worked as a journalist and podcast host at Momentum Media since February 2018. Jerome is also the author of The Wellness Doctrines book series, an admitted solicitor in NSW, and a board director of the Minds Count Foundation.
