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It was not unfair to medically retire an employee who had been on leave for more than two years and whose mental state deteriorated "simply at the thought" of returning to work, the Fair Work Commission has accepted.

The Australia Post mail officer was suspended in February 2019 following allegations she'd walked around the workplace banging a large wooden stick capped with a metal hook screaming, "I hate this place; I hate the people". An investigation confirmed the incident and recommended dismissal, but instead, the employer referred her for a psychiatric assessment and placed her on sick leave.

The psychiatrist recommended a neuropsychological assessment, which suggested the employee was capable of returning to her role provided she didn't have to focus on more than one job at a time.

The employer decided it couldn't accommodate this as a permanent restriction, however, because its mailroom system relied on rotating duties and receiving multiple instructions at once. It told the employee it might be able to move her to another role instead, but she said she was experiencing increased symptoms of depression and anxiety and submitted a medical certificate that said she was unfit for work...