| Restrictions | OK |
|---|---|
| Jurisdiction | Employment Relations Authority - Auckland |
| Reference No | AA 275/02 |
| Hearing date | 5 Sep 2002 |
| Determination date | 13 September 2002 |
| Member | WRC Gardiner |
| Representation | L Ponniah ; T Sherlock |
| Location | Auckland |
| Parties | Chalton v Wood & Partners Consultants Ltd |
| Summary | UNJUSTIFIED DISMISSAL - Serious misconduct - Alleged conflict of interest - Applicant's partner resigned from respondent to join competitor - Failure by respondent to obtain contract - Dismissed for failure to promptly divulge loss of contract - Alleged failure to reveal competitor tendered for and won contract - Dismissal procedurally flawed - No advance notification of agenda or consequence of meeting - Predetermination - Prepared dismissal letter prior to meeting - Dismissal substantively unjustified - Conflict insufficient to warrant dismissal - Remedies - Contributory conduct - Information not divulged promptly - Remedies reduced by 10 percent - PENALTY - Sought for malicious dismissal - Dismissal unjustified but genuine not malicious - Penalty inappropriate - Senior resource planner |
| Result | Application granted ; Reimbursement of lost wages ($12,265.94 reduced to $11,039.35) ; Compensation for humiliation etc ($25,000 reduced to $22,500) ; Costs reserved |
| Statutes | ERA s160(3) |
| Cases Cited | Batey v Board of Trustees of St Michael's School [1993] 2 ERNZ 851;Belcher v Ayejay Enterprises Ltd unreported, Finnigan J, 29 July 1997, AEC 81/97;Corporate Express (NZ) Ltd v Hastings [1998] 3 ERNZ 869;Country Fare (Christchurch) Ltd v Dixey [1995] 2 ERNZ 372;Coutts Cars Ltd v Baguley [2001] ERNZ 660;Drummond v Coca Cola Bottlers NZ [1995] 2 ERNZ 229;Dunn v Methanex New Zealand Ltd [1996] 2 ERNZ 222;Holley v Country Foods NZ Ltd unreported, Goddard CJ, 24 April 1996, WEC 20/96;Iceland Frozen Foods Ltd v Jones (1982) IRLR 439;McIntosh v AgResearch - New Zealand Pastoral Agriculture Research Institute Ltd unreported, Goddard CJ, 10 July 2002, WC 11A/02;New Zealand Building Trades Union v Hawke's Bay Area Health Board [1992] 2 ERNZ 897;New Zealand Fasteners Stainless Ltd v Thwaites [2000] 1 ERNZ 739; [2000] 2 NZLR 565;Northern Distribution Union v BP Oil NZ Ltd [1992] 3 ERNZ 483;Phipps v New Zealand Fishing Industry Board [1996] 1 ERNZ 195;Tupu v Romano's Pizzas (Wellington) Ltd [1995] 2 ERNZ 266;W & H Newspapers Ltd v Oram [2000] 2 ERNZ 448 ; [2001] 3 NZLR 29 |
| Number of Pages | 27 |
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