A long-serving Brisbane CityCat employee has been dismissed after a workplace tribunal upheld her employer’s decision following a year of frequent absences.
Jodie Daunis, who worked for several years as a customer service operator on Brisbane’s iconic ferries, was let go in July last year by transport operator Kelsian Group.
Tribunal documents reveal that Daunis took an astonishing 114 sick days within a single 12-month period. The company determined that her ongoing medical condition made it impossible for her to reliably perform her duties on the river.
Jodie Daunis lost her job after taking a staggering 114 sick days within a 12-month period.
Her health issues began escalating in April 2024, when she was diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and started experiencing recurrent blood clots, causing inflammation and persistent pain.
Doctors recommended surgery in November 2024, but the procedure was delayed after her insurance provider refused coverage, leaving her on the public hospital waitlist.
On April 6, 2025, Daunis was hospitalized with DVT and spent approximately a week away from work.
Daunis worked as a customer service operator on Brisbane’s CityCat ferries.
When she returned to work, she managed only two shifts before her pain made it difficult to perform her duties, the Fair Work Commission heard. Later that month, she informed the company’s people and culture manager that both a vascular surgeon and a blood specialist had advised her to remain off work for the next three months.
In June, Daunis underwent an independent medical examination, but the report quickly became a point of contention. Daunis and the Maritime Union of Australia argued that the assessment indicated she could return to work after her planned surgery. Kelsian Group, however, interpreted the report differently, claiming it showed she could not perform the essential duties of her ferry role.
The company also argued that allowing Daunis to work reduced hours would disrupt staff rosters, forcing other employees to cover the gaps.
By July 1, the situation reached a breaking point. Kelsian terminated Daunis’ employment, stating it could not modify her role to accommodate her medical restrictions. She challenged the decision, but the Fair Work Commission ultimately sided with the ferry operator.
Commissioner Chris Simpson ruled that the June medical report “fell well short” of proving Daunis could resume her full duties in the near future.
“I do not accept that the [independent medical examination] report conclusively determined that Ms Daunis could fulfil the inherent requirements of her role in the future. I am satisfied that the evidence does not support such a conclusion,” he said.
He also agreed with Kelsian that its rostering system made reduced hours impractical.
“I accept, taking into account the nature of the working arrangements, and the impact on other staff, and cost to the respondent in making accommodations as proposed for Ms Daunis, that they are not practical or reasonable in this case. There was no reasonable adjustment that could have been made to Ms Daunis’ role to accommodate her current or future incapacity given the nature of her role,” Simpson added.
