Channel Seven reporter is stood down over mental health concerns after alleging the network underpaid staff

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A reporter for Channel Seven has reportedly been temporarily removed from her position due to mental health issues. This comes shortly after she began legal action against the network, representing a group of people in a class-action lawsuit.

The Australian newspaper reported that a senior reporter in Melbourne was told to take leave from their job.

Seven was accused of acting strangely, including parking in a staff parking space reserved for others on the weekend, asking coworkers about their time at the company while on the clock, and searching through the chief of staff’s desk.

During a union meeting, she playfully responded to the idea that people thought she was eccentric after speaking in favor of pay raises.

The reporter has reportedly been told she can’t return to work until a psychiatrist chosen by Seven evaluates her mental health.

Seven stands by its decision to suspend the journalist, stating they were worried about her well-being.

Last week, the reporter emailed her colleagues to explain she’s still in a disagreement with her boss at Seven News, Ray Kuka. The issue is his insistence that she undergo a medical assessment, despite her having three young children at home.

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Adero Law, a firm specializing in employment lawsuits, is looking into a potential class action against Seven West Media, the company that owns the Seven Network, based on two significant claims.

The law firm has interviewed over 20 people who currently or previously worked at Seven, and also asked for their employee files as part of its investigation.

Caitlin McIvor of Adero stated in an interview with the Australian Financial Review that her team is getting ready to file a lawsuit against the media company, but hasn’t done so yet.

Employees have accused Seven of several issues, including not paying staff enough, incorrectly labeling their job titles, refusing to allow paid breaks, and failing to pay them for overtime work.

The investigation will begin by looking into claims that Seven Network paid some of its seasoned journalists and producers a very low salary – only slightly above what they pay new, entry-level staff.

Level Five employees earned between $55,100 and $65,500 per year, with additional pay for hours worked as outlined in the 2022 enterprise bargaining agreement.

A ‘personal margin’ was part of employees’ pay, but some claimed it was reduced when their base salary went up, effectively canceling out any raise they received.

Several employees have claimed that Seven took back their overtime or bonus pay as a way to reduce expenses, due to declining advertising income.

A spokeswoman for Seven West said the company rejected the accusations.

Seven West Media believes it is compensating its journalists and current affairs staff fairly, adhering to both their workplace agreement and the law, according to a company representative.

Adero is also looking into how a recent court decision regarding back pay might impact its Seven Network employees.

Recently, a federal court decision clarified that employers are required to maintain thorough records of hours worked – including overtime – even for salaried employees.

As a result of the decision, Coles’ estimated back payments rose significantly, from $31 million to $250 million. Woolworths experienced a similar increase, with their estimates jumping from $486 million to $1.2 billion.

If the law firm can demonstrate that Seven broke the 2022 agreement, the company could be required to pay a large sum in back wages to its approximately 1,200 employees who were covered by the document.

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2025-09-29 04:06