involving managers who sacked workers by SMS resulted in different

rulings from Fair Work Australia commissioners, creating confusion for

bosses. The high-profile cases are symptomatic of broader legal and

ethical issues confronting managers when they decide how to communicate

with staff. Email and text messages are commonly misinterpreted, experts

insist. While the key issue in unfair dismissal disputes concerns

whether fair process has been followed, the most important message is

leave nothing to chance – don't hide behind technology. When it's bad

news, both sides need to face up to it.