Tara Ireland, a Coles night fill manager employed since 2005, lost her Fair Work Commission case after claiming she was pressured to resign. The commission ruled on Tuesday that she had voluntarily resigned rather than being dismissed, rejecting her argument that she was emotionally overwhelmed and incapable of making a rational decision at the time. This outcome means she will not be reinstated to her position.

The case stemmed from allegations made in November 2025, when store manager Conrad Taylor reported that CCTV footage showed Ireland entering a disabled toilet at 6:50pm on 5 November, with a team member later allegedly finding a crack pipe and two bags of methamphetamine in the same toilet. A separate fraud investigation also alleged Ireland had taken four pre-packaged sandwiches without paying for them. During a disciplinary meeting on 3 December 2025, Ireland became distressed and left the room, subsequently submitting a written resignation after two hours with her union representative. Commissioner Mark Perica found that whilst the situation was stressful, the two-hour consultation with her union meant the resignation was not made "in the heat of the moment" and constituted a genuine, voluntary decision.