Sorry not sorry
Qantas’ shoddy apology for cutting 1,820 ground staff jobs in 2020 — and CEO Vanessa Hudson’s no-show in court — left Justice Michael Lee unconvinced.
What price did Qantas pay for CEO Vanessa Hudson not fronting up to court and saying sorry for its decision to sack 1,820 ground workers in 2020?
On Monday, Justice Michael Lee hit Qantas with a $90 million fine for breaching the adverse action provisions of the Fair Work Act, and his comments on Hudson’s absence had some real sting.
When Lee conducted the penalty hearing in May, contrition was always going to be a big factor in his deliberations. As is the case with all offenders, he wanted to see genuine remorse.
Qantas sent along chief people officer Catherine Walsh, who had only joined the company from PwC in 2024 — and Lee was not happy. This was after Qantas had agreed to mediation (which failed) on the condition that Hudson did not have to take part.
