New details about an alleged workplace dispute between federal political staffer Sally Rugg and independent Kooyong MP Dr Monique Ryan have emerged.
In documents tendered to the Federal Court, it was revealed that Dr Ryan had given Rugg a formal warning for potentially putting fellow passengers at risk after Rugg boarded a flight while infected with Covid-19.
Rugg appeared in the Federal Court in Melbourne on Friday for an urgent application asking the court to prevent her job from being terminated in what is heralded as a potential landmark ‘test case’.
The court heard that Rugg tested positive for Covid while working for Dr Ryan at Parliament House in Canberra in November 2022.
Dr Ryan claims that Rugg then put passengers at risk by boarding a flight home to Melbourne. Dr Ryan took the incident seriously and didn’t believe any doctor would advise someone infected with Covid to fly. Ms Rugg took stress leave following the row with Dr Ryan and hasn’t returned to work since. However, she’s still technically employed by the MP.
Rugg launched an unfair dismissal claim against Dr Ryan and the Commonwealth in January, claiming she was threatened with being sacked for refusing to work unreasonable hours.
She alleged in court documents she would work between 70 and 80 hours a week for Dr Ryan, including working both days across the weekend, writing speeches, and performing other tasks.
She claimed Dr Ryan asked her to work more than that by performing community engagement work, including managing volunteers, projects, and events in the MP’s Kooyong electorate.
Ms Rugg’s lawyer argued that his client was employed as an advisor, not specifically as chief-of-staff, and was paid $136,000 per year plus $30,000 in parliamentary allowances.
Dr Ryan’s lawyers argued their client had medical advice to return home before Justice Debra Mortimer pointed out it didn’t recommend boarding a flight.
The MP is fighting the case and has rejected Rugg’s claims about hostility and tension in the workplace. The hearing continues.
»Details emerge on workplace dispute between Sally Rugg and Dr Monique Ryan«
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