Berina Colakovic, wife of former NRL player Jai Arrow, has filed a lawsuit against her employer, AI advertising platform StackAdapt, alleging discrimination and denial of procedural fairness. Colakovic was suspended from her role on the day she was scheduled to return from maternity leave in May 2026.
StackAdapt denies unlawfully suspending Colakovic or taking adverse action against her, stating that employee complaints justified the decision. The company claims Colakovic demonstrated a "pattern of disengagement" in meetings, was unreceptive to feedback, and lacked empathy. Some employees reportedly felt unheard or misunderstood when working with her.
The dispute began prior to Arrow's diagnosis with motor neurone disease (MND) and his subsequent retirement from rugby league. Colakovic is still employed by StackAdapt and continues to be paid during her suspension.
Colakovic began working for StackAdapt in 2019, transferring between offices in Canada, Singapore, and Australia. According to documents filed in the Federal Court by her lawyers, a superior allegedly "threatened" her in September 2024, stating there would be "performance discussions" unless she could "turn the business around." Colakovic claims this included dismissing two employees in circumstances she believed might be unlawful, a matter she raised with the company's human resources department.
Colakovic informed StackAdapt of her pregnancy in October 2024, later taking maternity leave. Approximately one week before her scheduled return, she was informed that an ongoing investigation would resume and her team would no longer report to her. On her first day back, she was called into a meeting and suspended, with instructions not to contact colleagues, clients, or other stakeholders while a disciplinary process was conducted.
Colakovic stated she had no prior knowledge of the complaints against her and described the reasons given for her suspension as vague and lacking detail. Her lawyers contacted StackAdapt three days later, characterizing the suspension as an "ambush" and asserting that Colakovic had been denied procedural fairness.
StackAdapt's response to the court denied that Colakovic was threatened by her superior and claimed she had "expressed her satisfaction" with the outcome of her HR complaint. The company also denied that the investigation and suspension constituted adverse action.
Colakovic's legal team alleges StackAdapt contravened the Fair Work Act and is seeking the withdrawal of allegations, an end to her suspension, and her reinstatement to her former position as director of sales.
The legal proceedings were temporarily paused while Colakovic and Arrow managed his MND diagnosis and their wedding in July. Colakovic expressed a desire for her daughter to grow up in a world free from workplace discrimination. Arrow stated he would support his wife in her legal fight, drawing a parallel to her support during his health crisis.