Fair Work Commission dismisses Woolworths worker’s ‘plumber’s crack’ unfair dismissal claim
Consensus Summary
The Fair Work Commission dismissed a case filed by a Victorian Woolworths worker who claimed unfair dismissal after a co-worker told him to cover his ‘plumber’s crack.’ Deputy president Alan Colman ruled the claim was frivolous, noting the worker was never dismissed and continued working after lodging the application. This was the worker’s fifth claim in two years, contributing to a surge in speculative cases. Colman criticized the trend, which has overwhelmed the commission’s workload, with lodgements rising 70% in three years due partly to AI-generated applications. Both sources agree Woolworths denied any dismissal and that the worker ignored a hearing direction. The case highlights broader concerns about unmeritorious claims straining the commission’s resources.
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Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Fair Work Commission deputy president Alan Colman dismissed a case filed by a Victorian Woolworths worker claiming unfair dismissal over a ‘plumber’s crack’ comment.
- The worker was told by a co-worker to cover up the ‘cleft of his bottom protruding from his trousers’ during a casual shift at Woolworths.
- Woolworths stated the worker continued working shifts after lodging the claim and later stopped turning up, contradicting his dismissal claim.
- This was the worker’s fifth application to the Fair Work Commission in two years.
- Fair Work Commission president Justice Adam Hatcher previously attributed a 70% increase in caseloads (from 2020-21 to 2024-25) to AI-driven speculative claims.
- The Fair Work Commission’s lodgements rose from 29,631 in 2020-21 to 44,075 in 2024-25, with projections exceeding 50,000 in 2025-26.
- Colman described the case as a ‘speculative claim’ made to avoid defending a frivolous lawsuit, noting the worker ignored a hearing direction.
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Colman explicitly stated: ‘Anyone wanting insight into the phenomenon of unmeritorious claims in the Fair Work Commission may wish to consider [this case].’
- The article includes a quote from Colman: ‘This case had nothing to do with dismissal. It was evidently a speculative claim made in pursuit of a monetary settlement that would spare Woolworths the nuisance of defending it.’
- The Business Briefing newsletter is mentioned as a source of additional context.
- The article uses the term ‘builder’s bum’ as an alternative colloquialism for ‘plumber’s crack’ in describing the worker’s complaint.
- The Guardian notes the worker’s claim was dismissed ‘ex tempore’ (immediately) on the hearing day, a detail not explicitly stated in the SMH.
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- The SMH states the case was dismissed ‘last week,’ while the Guardian says it was dismissed ‘on Thursday’ (May 9, 2026), with no conflicting dates provided in the articles themselves.
Source Articles
Woolworths worker who was told to cover his ‘plumber’s crack’ has case dismissed
A casual worker who said his feelings were hurt by a co-worker was berated by the Fair Work Commission for wasting its time with his unfair dismissal claim.
No butts: case dismissed after Woolworths worker claims hurt feelings over plumber’s crack
Fair Work Commission deputy president Alan Colman rejects Victorian man’s case, warning there is no disincentive for speculative claims Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast A former Woolworths employee has been accused of wasting the Fair Work Commission’s time for filing an unfair dismissal case over feeling “upset” at being told to cover up his bum crack. In a decision published on Thursday, the Fair Work Commission