Netflix alleges 'performance issues' behind maternity leave redundancy
Netflix's Fair Work dispute with a senior employee has roots in long-running performance issues, the streaming company said in denying that a company restructure purposefully denied an employee her right to return to work from parental leave.
Global streaming video platform Netflix has defended its move to make a role held by a senior marketing executive redundant while she was on maternity leave as a decision "made for legitimate business reasons," in response to allegations the company breached employment laws.
Former senior Netflix employee Vanessa Hughes has accused Netflix of breaching the Fair Work Act when a restructuring of its Australia and New Zealand marketing team resulted in her job being made redundant while she was still on parental leave.
Hughes is being represented in the dispute by Mia Panetichis, a principal lawyer with law firm Maurice Blackburn. Baker McKenzie partner Michael Michalandos is acting for Netflix.
"Netflix promotes itself as having family friendly policies and a flexible culture. However, in reality Mrs Hughes has been denied the important legal protections she is owed as a mother accessing her right to take parental leave and return to work," Panetichis said in comments to Capital Brief following an initial administrative hearing in the case last week.
