A Pilates studio manager thought she was securing a dream promotion but instead lost her job after a single email to her boss. 

Poppy Hailston began working at DMC Strong, which operates a Strong Pilates branch in Springfield, Queensland, in September 2024.

The Strong brand, which has 50 studios across Australia and New Zealand, was co-founded by Michael Ramsey and Mark Armstrong, who previously owned and operated several F45 Training franchises.

Ms Hailston wanted to transition into a leadership role after discussions about a potential head coach position.

But the promotion never came to pass and she lost her job after one of her emails was treated as a resignation.

As a result, she launched an unfair dismissal claim in the Fair Work Commission (FWC) against DMC Strong. 

In her resignation email, Ms Hailston told managers she would be ‘stepping down’ from her role as studio manager with her final day set for February 28, 2026.

She said she hoped to remain with the business as a head coach, writing that she felt ‘well equipped’ for the role after almost a decade in the fitness industry, the commission heard.

Poppy Hailston (pictured) told the Fair Work Commission she believed she was moving from studio manager to a newly created ‘head coach’ role in a resignation email 

Since launching in 2019, Strong Pilates has expanded to about 50 studios across Australia and New Zealand 

In the resignation email, Ms Hailston said she would be ‘stepping down’ as studio manager and nominated February 28, 2026, as her final day in the position

Ms Hailston also proposed working part-time in the new position and asked whether the company would contribute towards the cost of a Pilates certification course she planned to undertake.

But, just days later, DMC informed her the head coach role would not proceed and advised her resignation had been accepted.

Ms Hailston told the commission the response came as a ‘complete shock’ and argued the email was intended to formalise a transition into another role, not end her employment.

However, Deputy President Judith Wright found the email amounted to 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,’ she wrote 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 business owner Damian Coppolecchia had considered introducing the role but ultimately decided against it because it would involve additional work and wage costs.

Mr Coppolecchia accepted there were likely discussions among staff about who would be a good fit for the head coach role while head office was considering the proposal. 

The FWC heard Ms Hailston began working for the business in September 2024 

DMC Strong operates a branch of Strong Pilates, a franchise with 50 studios across Australia and New Zealand. The brand was co-founded by Michael Ramsey and Mark Armstrong 

While Ms Hailston later told managers she wanted to remain with the business, the commission found she never formally contacted the HR manager to withdraw her resignation despite being encouraged to do so. 

‘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 said.

‘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.’

Asked why she never emailed the HR manager to explain she had not intended to resign, Ms Hailston said she trusted her manager and believed the decision had already been made. 

‘I really, really trusted her as a boss. Why flog a dead dog at that point was my thought,’ she said.