A Jetstar aircraft maintenance engineer has lost his bid for reinstatement following dismissal over multiple workplace incidents at Melbourne Airport.
Jarrod Mcrae, also known as Jack, faced termination on July 29, 2025, after alleged taunts toward a younger apprentice and a dangerous stunt that stranded colleagues on an elevated platform.
Alleged Taunts Toward Apprentice
Incidents involved Mcrae reportedly calling the apprentice a ‘pu***’ and questioning, ‘were you hit much as a kid?’ Jetstar presented evidence that Mcrae stated, ‘You are all pu**ies now, it’s ridiculous, back when I was an apprentice, we used to cop all sorts of abuse.’
In another episode, Mcrae allegedly challenged the apprentice to a fight, saying, ‘Oi, take it to the carpark, be a man.’
The apprentice testified that these remarks made him feel unsafe at work. ‘Jarrod made me feel like coming to work was unsafe for me and that I should not voice my concerns in fear of being negatively perceived by him and others,’ he said. ‘I fear/feared that he may take physical action against me for speaking up against him.’
Mcrae denied the comments or argued they were taken out of context and not aimed solely at the apprentice.
Dangerous Elevated Platform Incident
A third event proved decisive. Mcrae pressed an emergency stop button, leaving the apprentice and another colleague stranded five or six meters above ground on a work platform with no way to descend independently.
Mcrae claimed he activated the button for operational needs and that failing to reset it was an honest mistake. However, witnesses stated he laughed and walked away, aware of the potential for serious injury.
Fair Work Commission Decision
Fair Work Commission Deputy President Richard Clancy reviewed the case. He noted Mcrae’s partial denials regarding the taunts, describing them if made as ‘bizarre, inane and not at all amusing.’
Clancy ruled the comments alone did not justify dismissal, but the platform incident did. ‘Mr Mcrae acted in breach of the Cardinal Rules by recklessly engaging in “horseplay, skylarking or practical jokes” in pressing the emergency stop button,’ he wrote.
With 23 years in the industry, including two at Jetstar, Mcrae argued the dismissal was unfair. Clancy disagreed: ‘Having made findings in relation to each matter and given due weight to each, I am satisfied the dismissal was not harsh, unjust or unreasonable.’
The commission upheld Jetstar’s action, prioritizing workplace safety.
