Woolworths sacks staff as planking craze sweeps Australia

Dangerous stunt epidemic sweeping Australia that has already left one man dead. Now major retailers are cracking down on planking, sacking workers who get busted performing the dangerous manoeuvre on the job.
Woolworths, the nation's biggest employer, has axed eight employees across three states this week for planking - which involves laying flat and face-down on top of an object and being photographed - on top of meat grinders, display shelves, trolleys and stacks of milk crates then boasting about it online.
The sackings follow the suspension of six school students for planking in Queensland, with police and education officials warning the fad will not be tolerated.


Planking is a direct contradiction of our safety and health policy. Our employees have a responsibility to ensure their own safety and the safety of those around them."
Mr Wilson added workers were being warned of the dangers of planking at work.
But one of the nation's leading workplace law firms said planking alone should not be grounds for sacking and employees could potentially sue for unfair dismissal.
Slater and Gordon's national head of employment law Marcus Clayton said a warning might be more appropriate.
"If an employee is lying on the lunchroom table at the workplace and they get sacked for that, that's clearly unfair and could be the subject of an unfair dismissal claim," he said.
"If they're presenting a real danger to themselves or others that's an issue for an employer to deal with but whether it's a sackable offence is another question."
The sackings come after Queensland man Acton Beale, 20, died on Sunday when he fell from a balcony while planking.
Federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott became to latest politician warn about the dangers of the craze.
"I don't want to be a killjoy, obviously," Mr Abbott said yesterday.
"But I think it's very important that people think twice before they do something that might be dangerous.