Restrictions OK
Jurisdiction Employment Relations Authority - Auckland
Reference No [2012] NZERA Auckland 93
Hearing date 9 Feb 2012
Determination date 13 March 2012
Member J Crichton
Representation M W Kendall (in person) ; B Gauld
Location Auckland
Parties Kendall v The Flamekeeper Co Ltd
Summary JURISDICTION – Whether applicant employee or independent contractor – Applicant sought unpaid wages – Respondent claimed no additional monies owing – Applicant claimed employment agreement entered – Authority found applicant’s invention owned by respondent – Found document complied with law as if employment agreement – Found parties took number of steps to make document look as if was employment agreement – Found applicant integral to operation of respondent – Found applicant controlled respondent rather than other way round – Found respondent was applicant’s business generated by applicant’s intellectual property, energies and ideas – Respondent claimed payments made to applicant not salary payments – Respondent claimed payments were payments of capital or drawings – Respondent claimed applicant not liable for income tax – Found on balance of probabilities applicant not employee of respondent – Inventor
Result Application dismissed ; Costs to lie where they fall
Main Category Jurisdiction
Statutes ERA s6;ERA s6(3);ERA s65
Cases Cited Bryson v Three Foot Six Ltd [2005] 3 NZLR 721
Number of Pages 6
PDF File Link: 2012_NZERA_Auckland_93.pdf [pdf 27 KB]