Help with termination

Find out about where to go for help if a business is insolvent or if you believe that the termination of your employment wasn’t fair or was a breach of your workplace rights.

On this page:

Unfair dismissal

There are situations where an employee’s termination of employment can be considered unfair.

In these cases, an employee could be eligible to make an unfair dismissal application. The Fair Work Commission (the Commission) deals with unfair dismissal applications.

For more information, visit Unfair dismissal.

General protections

Employees have protected workplace rights. If an employee believes they were terminated because they used their workplace rights, they can consider making a general protections application. Read more about Protections at work.

The Commission handles general protections applications. For more information or to make an application, visit the Commission’s Dismissal under general protections page.

Bankruptcy and liquidation

Businesses can shut down because they’ve run out of money or aren’t profitable.

There are rules about what employees receive in these situations, and when we can and can’t help.

Learn more at Bankruptcy and liquidation.

Unlawful termination

Some employees who aren’t eligible to make a general protections application can apply to the Commission for help with unlawful termination.

Find out more on the Commission’s Unlawful termination page.

Tip: Non-national system employees

Some employees aren’t in the national Fair Work system.

These employees have access to some national system entitlements, including unlawful termination.

Read more about these entitlements in our Library article – Non-national system employee entitlements in the Fair Work Act 2009.

Tools and resources

Related information