A Pilates studio manager has lost her job after an email intended to formalize a promotion was interpreted as a resignation, leading to an unfair dismissal claim. Poppy Hailston, who began working at DMC Strong, a Strong Pilates branch in Springfield, Queensland, in September 2024, believed she was moving into a newly created head coach position.
Ms. Hailston sent an email to her managers stating she would be "stepping down" from her studio manager role, with her final day in that position set for February 28, 2026. She also expressed her ambition to continue with the business as a head coach, citing nearly a decade of experience in the fitness industry, and inquired about the company contributing to a Pilates certification course she planned to undertake.
However, the business owner, Damian Coppolecchia, had considered but ultimately decided against introducing the head coach role due to additional work and wage costs. Days after Ms. Hailston’s email, DMC informed her that the head coach role would not proceed and that her resignation had been accepted.
Ms. Hailston told the Fair Work Commission (FWC) that the response was a "complete shock" and that her email was meant to facilitate a transition, not end her employment. The commission, however, upheld the interpretation of the email as a resignation.
"Based on an objective assessment of all the relevant circumstances, I find that Ms Hailston's email of 29 January 2026 was an unambiguous resignation," Deputy President Judith Wright stated in her published decision. "There was no reasonable basis for Ms Hailston to believe that DMC had offered her the head coach role."
The tribunal heard that while staff had discussed potential candidates for the head coach role, the company had not formally offered it. Although Ms. Hailston later indicated a desire to remain with the company, the commission noted she did not formally contact the HR manager to withdraw her resignation. Deputy President Wright found that Ms. Hailston's desire to stay was solely tied to the unoffered head coach role.
"I accept that Ms Hailston wanted to remain employed by DMC, however I find that the only role Ms Hailston wanted to remain employed in was the head coach role," Deputy President Wright stated. "It is possible that DMC was secretly happy that Ms Hailston no longer wanted to perform the studio manager role as it wanted a full-time employee to be in that role. However, even if this was the case, it is clear on the evidence that Ms Hailston voluntarily relinquished the studio manager role and Ms Hailston has not claimed that DMC put any pressure on her to do so."
When asked why she did not formally retract her resignation, Ms. Hailston stated she trusted her manager and believed the decision was already made.
Strong Pilates, co-founded by Michael Ramsey and Mark Armstrong, has expanded to approximately 50 studios across Australia and New Zealand since its launch in 2019.
