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Sorry Seamus, I'll try to make my argument clearer.
Johnny's IR reform allows employers to dismiss employees without the necessity of fair reason (or any reason, warning, or notification).
This means that an employee can be dismissed for reasons that are unfair. A conscientious, reliable and efficient employee can be dismissed from employment on a whim. A whim might be for refusing an unreasonable demand such as unpaid overtime, ignoring WHS practices and or personal favours (including loveual favours).
It may be argued that threatening an employee with dismissal in an effort to gain benefit of such demands is illegal. But as there is no requirement upon employers to provide evidence of reason for dismissal the threat can be used implicitly making the threat difficult to prove.
At present if the boss asks you to perform a loveual favour, and you refuse, the boss can not sack you without a fair and legitimate reason. If you inform the boss that such a request is offensive to you then the boss must refrain from similar behaviour or risk being found guilty of (loveual) harbuttment offences.
After Johnny's IR reform the boss can sack you at any time without stating a reason. When an employee is sacked, without stated reason, after refusing an unreasonable employer demand you could expect the next employee, that receives that same demand, to understand the implied threat! A court may have difficulty proving that such a threat existed, other employees may not be willing to make a statement for fear that they may lose employment if they lose the favour of their employer.
Regards
Happy Larry
