A Jetstar maintenance worker, who argued he was unfairly dismissed for allegedly mocking an apprentice, has unsuccessfully appealed for his job back.

Jarrod Mcrae was terminated on July 29, 2025, following incidents at Melbourne Airport where he reportedly insulted a younger colleague using derogatory language and questioned, “Were you hit much as a kid?”

Known as Jack, Mcrae filed an unfair dismissal claim with the Fair Work Commission, insisting that his comments were misunderstood and misrepresented.

Jetstar presented evidence to the Commission, asserting that Mcrae told the apprentice, “You are all weaklings now. It’s absurd. In my apprentice days, we endured all kinds of tough treatment.”

The airline further alleged another episode where Mcrae challenged the apprentice to a physical altercation.

He is accused of saying, “Oi, take it to the carpark, be a man,” during the confrontation.

The apprentice told the hearing: ‘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.’

‘I fear/feared [sic] that he may take physical action against me for speaking up against him.’

Jarrod (Jack) Mcrae lodged an appeal with the Fair Work Commission over his dismissal

Jetstar sacked the aircraft maintenance engineer over a series of alleged workplace incidents at Melbourne Airport

Mcrae denied making the remarks or claimed they had been taken out of context and not directed solely at the apprentice.

FWC Deputy President Richard Clancy did not rule definitively that the comments were made when delivering his decision last week. 

‘As for the comments “were you hit much as a kid” and “oi, take it to the carpark, be a man”, Mr Mcrae’s response was, again, a combination of a denial and an assertion that he made comments that have been taken out of context,’ Mr Clancy said.

‘If the applicant made the alleged comments, I consider them bizarre, inane and not at all amusing.’

While the alleged taunts did not warrant dismissal by the airline, Mcrae’s actions during a third incident did, Mr Clancy ruled.

The apprentice and another colleague were stranded on an elevated work platform five or six metres above the ground after Mcrae pressed an emergency stop button.

In his defence, Mcrae claimed that he had pushed the button for operational reasons and that his failure to reactivate the elevated work platform was an unintentional, genuine error.

Mr Clancy ruled that Mcrae then laughed and walked away, despite knowing his actions could have caused serious harm to his colleagues who were stranded without any independent means of lowering the platform. 

The Fair Work Commission upheld Jetstar’s dismissal of Jarrod Mcrae (pictured)

‘Mr Mcrae acted in breach of the Cardinal Rules by recklessly engaging in ‘horseplay, skylarking or practical jokes’ in pressing the emergency stop button on the elevated work platform on the day in question,’ he wrote.

At the time of his sacking, Mcrae had been in the industry for 23 years, the last two employed by Jetstar.

The FWC upheld Jetstar’s decision. 

‘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,’ Mr Clancy ruled.