Latest news with #PaulCollins
NZ Herald
4 days ago
- Business
- NZ Herald
Fair Work slaps down Australian dad's work-from-home request to help care for school-aged kids
The working dad wanted to keep his arrangement of working-from-home twice a week to help look after his children. Photo / Getty Images Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech. The working dad wanted to keep his arrangement of working-from-home twice a week to help look after his children. Photo / Getty Images An Australian dad who tried to get his employer to let him work from home twice a week, to help care for his school-age children, has had his request denied. The dad took his legal bid to the Fair Work Commission (FWC) after attempts to reach a compromise with his employer failed. Paul Collins, a technical specialist at global software company Intersystems Australia, sought the ability to work from home two days a week in order to help care for his school-aged children, aged 8 and 10. His application, filed in January, also said mentioned he needed better 'work-life balance'. His bid has not been successful. His employer, Intersystems, operates an online record system in Australia known as TrakCare, used by healthcare providers to allow the sharing of health information between facilities and organisations. The employee had previous been working remotely two days a week in late 2024, under a hybrid working model the company had adopted during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Sky News AU
4 days ago
- Business
- Sky News AU
A Fair Work Commission ruling on a WFH dispute could have massive impact on working parents
A Sydney father must return to the office following a ruling by the Fair Work Commission, after he asked for a compromise to his work schedule to care for his children - in a ruling that could affect other Australian working families. Paul Collins, a technical specialist at global software company InterSystems Australia, lodged an application with Fair Work seeking flexible working arrangements after attempts to reach a compromise with his employer failed. He submitted a request in January to work from home every Wednesday and Thursday to care for his 8- and 10-year-old children and the need for a work and life balance. Until late 2024, Mr Collins had been working remotely on both these days under a hybrid working model adopted by InterSystems following the Covid-19 pandemic. In November that same year, the company announced it was ending this arrangement and staff would need to return to the office five days a week from February 2025. Mr Collins' WFH request was denied, but InterSystems offered an alternate arrangement of one work-from-home day per week. This was rejected and Mr Collins escalated the dispute to the FWC. In her judgment on Monday, FWC deputy president Lyndall Dean said she was not satisfied Mr Collins had established the 'requisite nexus' between his responsibility as a parent and the change he was seeking in his work arrangements. She said his written request 'merely expressed a preference to continue with a pre-existing pattern of remote work' and did not specify how working from home twice a week 'specifically supported or related to his parental responsibilities'. The judgement comes as companies attempt to get people back into the office full time following the end of COVID restrictions. During the federal election campaign, then opposition leader Peter Dutton wanted public servants in Canberra to return to the office, but walked the policy back following a backlash from the Albanese government and trade unions who believed the policy would negatively impact women. Newly appointed opposition leader Sussan Ley has endorsed full time working from home arrangements for some working families if the need arises.
News.com.au
4 days ago
- Business
- News.com.au
Fair Work slaps down Aussie dad's WFH request to help care for school-aged kids in bombshell workplace ruling
A Sydney dad has failed in a legal bid to force his employer to let him work from home twice a week so he could help care for his school-age children. Sydney father Paul Collins, a technical specialist at global software company Intersystems Australia, lodged an application with the Fair Work Commission (FWC) seeking flexible working arrangements after attempts to reach a compromise failed. Intersystems operates an online record system in Australia known as TrakCare, utilised by healthcare providers to allow the sharing of health information between facilities and organisations. Mr Collins submitted a formal request to the company in January to work from home every Wednesday and Thursday - citing the need to care for his children, aged 8 and 10, and the need for 'work-life balance'. Until late 2024, Mr Collins had been working remotely on both these days under a hybrid working model adopted by Intersystems following the Covid-19 pandemic. In November that same year, the company announced it was ending this arrangement and staff would need to return to the office five days a week from February 2025. Mr Collins' request was denied, but Intersystems offered an alternate arrangement of one work-from-home day per week. This was rejected and Mr Collins escalated the dispute to the FWC. In her judgment on Monday, FWC deputy president Lyndall Dean said she was not satisfied Mr Collins had established the 'requisite nexus' between his responsibility as a parent and the change he was seeking in his work arrangements. She said his written request 'merely expressed a preference to continue with a pre-existing pattern of remote work' and did not specify how working from home twice a week 'specifically supported or related to his parental responsibilities'. Mr Collins had conceded in cross-examination that he had no specific caring duties between his work hours of 9am-5pm. He was also able to share responsibility for school drop-offs and pick-ups through existing flexibility arrangements, the Commission ruled. 'In my view, the Respondent made genuine attempts to engage with the Applicant's request, including offering alternative arrangements such as working shorter hours on specific days,' Ms Dean said. 'The Applicant gave no explanation as to why these alternatives were unsuitable. 'Accordingly, the request was not validly made, and the Commission lacks jurisdiction to deal with the dispute.' Mr Collins had argued the company had failed to give individual consideration to his circumstances, as members of Intersystems' development team were permitted to work remotely. He pointed to his prior work arrangement in the years before and how it did not affect his 'productivity, availability, or overall performance'. Intersystems, however, said it had provided 'reasonable and sound business reasons' for not approving Mr Collins' initial request. The company maintained their position that employees were required to work from the office to 'facilitate the exchange of information' and allow for faster decision making and enhance customer service delivery. According to a 2024 user survey by Intersystems, there was a 28 per cent decline in customer satisfaction - prompting management to put the changes into effect.
Newsweek
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Most Americans Don't Believe Supreme Court Is Impartial—Poll
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Nearly seven in 10 Americans doubt that the Supreme Court is impartial when making decisions. Newsweek reached out to the Supreme Court's public information office for comment via email. Why It Matters The Supreme Court has faced eroding public trust in recent years, with an increasing number of Americans questioning its impartiality. In its most recent term, the conservative-leaning court handed down important rulings that could reshape executive authority, as well as have implications for matters like LGBTQ+ rights. What To Know A new poll from YouGov surveyed Americans about whether they believe the justices base their decisions on legal analysis or their own political views. Sixty-eight percent of respondents said they believe the justices "often let their own personal or political views influence their decisions." Only 32 percent said they believe the justices "usually decide their cases based on legal analysis without regard to their own personal or political views." In another poll question, 28 percent of respondents said they believe the court is "impartial in its decisions," while 53 percent believe the court "tended to favor one group more than another." Americans broadly supported measures such as enforcing an ethical code for justices, backed by 75 percent of respondents, and setting a maximum number of years justices can serve, backed by 71 percent of those included in the poll. The poll surveyed 1,043 U.S. adults from June 30 to July 2, 2025, and had a margin of error of ±4.3 percentage points. Supreme Court justices sit for their official portrait on October 7, 2022, in Washington, D.C. Supreme Court justices sit for their official portrait on October 7, 2022, in Washington, poll's findings are "not at all" surprising, Paul Collins, professor of legal studies and political science at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, told Newsweek. The main factor in eroding trust in the court is that the "conservative majority is pushing the conservative legal agenda through its decisions," Collins said. The court is doing so by "overruling existing precedents, and stripping away civil rights and liberties, including reproductive freedom and protections for vulnerable minority groups," he said. "Americans are recognizing the Supreme Court for what it is: a brazenly political institution. And this isn't my opinion—it is backed up by hard data. Today's Supreme Court is the most conservative Court in modern history. In fact, the recent Supreme Court marks the first time in the contemporary era that all of the Court's Republicans are more conservative than all of the Court's Democrats," he said. Former federal prosecutor Gene Rossi told Newsweek that the justices' actions outside the courtroom could also be weighing on public opinion. "Allegedly one member has a spouse who flew the American flag upside down during January of 2021. Another justice allegedly has a spouse who is a firm believer and is an election denier. This spouse believed in 'Stop the Steal' principles and themes. Those are two of the nine justices," he said. "I think the American public sees that, reads that and concludes the members of the Supreme Court are not purer than Caesar's wife." Rossi is referring to Martha-Ann Alito, the wife of Justice Samuel Alito, who was accused of flying an upside down American flag—a symbol used by some Trump supporters to show support with the president's unproven claims the 2020 election was stolen—outside her home, and Ginni Thomas, the wife of Justice Clarence Thomas, who allegedly sent texts to former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows urging him to overturn the results of the 2020 election. He pointed to the court's ruling that gave presidents immunity for official actions, tied to President Donald Trump's case for his alleged role in the January 6, 2021, riots at the U.S. Capitol, as one ruling that has diminished people's opinion of the court. Critics also point to decisions like Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark case that guaranteed abortion rights across the country, as an example of a case that has eroded trust for some Americans. In the most recent term, the Court's ruling in Trump v. CASA, a case related to the president's executive order on birthright citizenship, drew criticism from many in the legal community. The Court ruled federal judges do not have the authority to issue nationwide injunctions that go beyond relief for individual plaintiffs in cases. It was seen as a major expansion of executive authority. What People Are Saying University of Massachusetts Amherst Professor Paul Collins told Newsweek: "Typically, I would suggest that the Court moderate itself, but I do not believe that is going to happen. So, I think we need to look for structural changes. I believe instituting term limits for justices is a step in the right direction, and I also believe it's time to have a serious national conversation about expanding the size of the Court. If the Court's conservatives are not going to moderate themselves, we are going to have to do it for them." Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson warned about the court's reputation in her dissent in the case Diamond Alternatives Energy v. Environmental Protection Agency: "When courts adjust standing requirements to let certain litigants challenge the actions of the political branches but preclude suits by others with similar injuries, standing doctrine cannot perform its constraining function. Over time, such selectivity begets judicial overreach and erodes public trust in the impartiality of judicial decisionmaking. Today's ruling runs the risk of setting us down that path." What Happens Next The Supreme Court is currently in recess, and the new term will begin in October.
Telegraph
03-04-2025
- Telegraph
Pictured: England's largest rhododendron is size of eight double-decker buses
England's largest rhododendron has been measured for the first time and is the size of eight double-decker buses. The 'robust' 120-year-old bush in the grounds of South Lodge Hotel in Horsham, West Sussex, is in bloom this week, with visitors enjoying its red and pink flowers. Paul Collins, head gardener at the hotel, said a laser was used to determine that the 'Big Rhody' is 124ft long, 78ft wide and 32ft high. The average double-decker bus is 30ft long, 8ft wide and 14ft tall. The arboreum smithii, a variety known as Old Cornish, was planted 120 years ago by Frederick Du Cane Godman, the Victorian explorer. It has been maintained by Mr Collins, 55 and from Horsham, for the past 13 years. He said this year was the first time he has been able to measure the bush 'properly'. He said the bush's floral display was less impressive than last year, adding: 'It definitely will be bigger in 10 years – as long as it doesn't die out. It's pretty robust. 'It's still big but it hasn't flowered as much as it did last year. It's just one of those things, you can do as much as you can. 'We don't put fertiliser on the outside to give it the best acidic pH but it's just one of those things – you can't really predict nature.' Mr Collins said the rhododendron did not require much maintenance, despite its size. He said: 'I'd love to be able to do lots to it. There's nothing we can do really. You often see people coming along who know about it – they will come in to take pictures of it. 'Some people will get pictures of themselves outside the rhododendron. When I first started 13 years ago, it was in May – it bloomed at the beginning of May,' he said. 'Over the years, it's become earlier and earlier.' Mr Collins said the bush did not show 'any signs' of ill health. 'It will outlive me,' he added. Du Cane Godman, a Cambridge scholar, planted the bush after his family bought the hotel and its grounds in 1883. He travelled the world compiling a natural history classification of more than 50,000 species and gathering a large collection of rare orchids, alpine plants and magnolias with his second wife.
