Australian Ferry Worker Dismissed After Taking 114 Sick Days in One Year
A long-serving Australian ferry worker has been terminated from her position after a workplace tribunal supported her employer's decision to dismiss her following a year characterized by frequent and extensive absences from work.
Details of the Case and Medical History
Jodie Daunis, who worked for several years as a customer service operator on Brisbane's iconic ferries, was let go in July of last year by the transport giant Kelsian Group. According to tribunal documents, Daunis took a staggering 114 sick days within a single 12-month period. The company concluded that her ongoing medical issues meant she could no longer reliably perform her duties on the river.
Her health problems began to escalate significantly around April 2024 when she developed deep vein thrombosis and started suffering from recurrent blood clots, which led to inflammation and persistent pain. Doctors referred her for surgery in November of that year, but the procedure was placed on a public hospital waitlist after her insurance provider refused to cover it.
Hospitalization and Work Challenges
Then, on April 6, 2025, Daunis was hospitalized with DVT and spent approximately one week away from work. Upon her return, she managed only two shifts before the pain made it difficult to carry out her responsibilities, as heard by the Fair Work Commission. Later that same month, Daunis informed the company's people and culture manager that both a vascular surgeon and a blood specialist had advised her to remain off work for the next three months.
In June, she underwent an independent medical examination, but the interpretation of that report quickly became a point of intense disagreement. Daunis and the Maritime Union of Australia argued that the assessment indicated she could return to work after her planned surgery. However, Kelsian interpreted the report very differently, asserting that it showed she could not perform the essential duties of her ferry role.
Company's Position and Tribunal Ruling
The company also maintained that allowing Daunis to work reduced hours would have created ripple effects across staff rosters, forcing other workers to fill the gaps. By July 1, the situation reached a breaking point. Kelsian terminated Daunis' employment, stating it could not modify her role to accommodate the medical restrictions she faced.
She challenged the decision, but the Fair Work Commission ultimately sided with the ferry operator. Commissioner Chris Simpson ruled that the June medical report "fell well short" of proving Daunis would be able to return to her full duties any time soon. "I do not accept that the (independent medical examination) report conclusively determined that Ms Daunis could fulfil the inherent requirements of her role in the future. I am satisfied that the evidence does not support such a conclusion," he stated.
He also agreed with the company that its rostering system made reduced hours unrealistic. "I accept, taking into account the nature of the working arrangements, and the impact on other staff, and cost to the respondent (Kelsian Group) in making accommodations as proposed for Ms Daunis that they are not practical or reasonable in this case and that there was no reasonable adjustment that could have been made to Ms Daunis' role to accommodate her current or future incapacity given the nature of her role," he explained.
