Fired WFH Employee: Laptop Activity Tracking Results in Unemployment

Suzie Cheikho, a 38-year-old work-from-home (WFH) employee, disclosed that she was terminated from her position at Insurance Australia Group after serving for 18 years. The termination followed a formal warning about her performance and output in November 2022. Specifically, she was dismissed on February 20 for failing to meet deadlines, missing meetings, and not completing crucial tasks.

The Fair Work Commission (FWC) discovered that she frequently did not work her scheduled hours, arrived late, and left early on several occasions, with some days not working at all as per her online activity. During the formal review meeting, Ms Cheikho disputed the accuracy of the data but failed to provide evidence to support her claim. She attributed her decline in performance to personal issues, including mental health struggles and an injury, and assured her managers of making up the time missed due to medical appointments.

A month later, Ms Cheikho alleged that the company had a deliberate plan to dismiss her and had specifically targeted her due to her mental health issues. Following her termination, she has become dependent on welfare support and has received her final payment from the company. Despite her situation, she has gained attention as a micro-influencer with nearly 8000 TikTok followers.

She uses her online platform to raise awareness about mental health issues and generate some income to cover her expenses. Ms Cheikho now worries about her prospects of securing future employment, expressing concern about never being hired again. She emphasized that throughout her 18 years of service, she had only received one warning.