Suzie Cheikho, a 38-year-old who previously worked remotely, recently disclosed her termination from Insurance Australia Group after 18 years of employment. Her dismissal followed a formal warning about her performance and productivity in November 2022. However, it’s the process of evaluating her performance that has garnered significant public attention.
During a performance improvement plan, Ms. Cheikho had her computer activity, including keystrokes, monitored for 49 working days between October and December, as reported by news.com.au. She was ultimately terminated on February 20 for failing to meet deadlines, missing meetings, and neglecting important tasks. The Fair Work Commission (FWC) found that she frequently didn’t adhere to her scheduled hours, often arriving late and leaving early. There were even days when she didn’t work at all, as evidenced by her online activity.
In a noteworthy incident, during a Microsoft Teams meeting with her manager regarding her performance, Ms. Cheikho had the word “F**k” written across her hand, according to the FWC ruling.
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During a subsequent formal review meeting, Ms Cheikho expressed disbelief in the accuracy of the data presented. Despite this, she failed to provide any evidence to the contrary. She mentioned having “personal issues” affecting her mental health and work performance, citing an injury. She claimed to have informed her managers about medical appointments via Teams messages and promised to “make up the time afterwards.”
A month later, Ms. Cheikho alleged that the company had a “premeditated plan” to terminate her and that she was targeted due to her mental health issues.
Now dependent on welfare support, Ms. Cheikho recently received her final payment from the company. Unexpectedly, her situation has brought attention to her online presence, where she has become somewhat of a micro-influencer with nearly 8000 followers on TikTok.
“I make a small percentage of money off TikTok – just enough to cover my bills,” she explained. “It’s all related to my mental health advocacy. I share my experiences to raise awareness about mental health issues through live sessions.”
