Roigard v Beechworth Home & Hospital Ltd t/a Beechwood Senior Living

Restrictions OK
Jurisdiction Employment Relations Authority - Auckland
Reference No AA 69/01
Determination date 21 June 2001
Member WRC Gardiner
Representation J Long ; P Swarbrick
Location Auckland
Parties Roigard v Beechworth Home & Hospital Ltd t/a Beechwood Senior Living
Summary UNJUSTIFIED DISMISSAL - Serious misconduct - Alleged dishonesty - Placed client's ring on finger for safekeeping - Took ring home by mistake - Advised employer had ring when alleged stolen - Suspended and subsequently summarily dismissed - Applicant was advised and aware of process throughout - Dismissal by letter not procedural flaw as applicant fully aware of state of process - Alleged pre-determination of dismissal and disguised redundancy - No evidence of pre-determination or disguised redundancy - Facts showed applicant did not intend to steal ring - Decision to dismiss outside the band of reasonable responses available - Unjustified dismissal - Suspension period longer than reasonable - Reduction in remedies for 25 percent contributory conduct - Nurse Manager
Result Application granted ; Reimbursement of lost wages ($15,000 reduced to $11,250)(3 months) ; Compensation for humiliation etc ($10,000 reduced to $7,500) ; Costs reserved
Statutes ERA s124;ERA s128
Cases Cited Airline Stewards and Hostesses of New Zealand IUOW v Air New Zealand Ltd [1990] 3 NZILR 584;Arundell v Flexicon Plastics unreported, Finnigan J, 27 June 1997, AEC 67/97;Auckland Local Authorities Officers IUOW v Northland Area Health Board [1991] 2 ERNZ 215;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;Boswel v Wellington Regional Hydatids Control Authority [1977] ICJ 141;Coburn v Mitchell & Mackersy unreported, Palmer J, 27 January 1998, CEC 2/98;Commerer v Red Eagle Corporation Ltd unreported, Goddard CJ, 27 June 2000, WC 29A/00;Cooke v Link Realty Ltd unreported, Travis J, 12 December 1996, AEC 84/96;Corporate Express (NZ) Ltd v Hastings [1998] 3 ERNZ 869;Country Fare (Christchurch) Ltd v Dixey [1995] 2 ERNZ 372;Davis Trading Co Ltd v Lewis [1993] 2 ERNZ 272;Drummond v Coca-Cola Bottlers NZ [1995] 2 ERNZ 229;Enzos Pizza v Van Beek [1998] 2 ERNZ 607;Gallagher v Ian George Clothing Ltd unreported, Travis J, 11 December 2000, AC 96/00;Game v Northland Co-operative Dairy Company Ltd unreported, Travis J, 10 April 2001, AC 28/01;Holley v Country Foods NZ Ltd unreported, Goddard CJ, 24 April 1996, WEC 20/96;Iceland Frozen Foods Ltd v Jones (1982) IRLR 439;Macadam v Port Nelson Ltd [1993] 1 ERNZ 300;Northern Distribution Union v BP Oil NZ Ltd [1992] 3 ERNZ 483;NZ (with exceptions) Food Processing etc IUOW v Unilever NZ Ltd [1990] 1 NZILR 35;NZ Shipwrights etc Union v Honda NZ Ltd [1989] 3 NZILR 82;Pascoe v Covic Motors [1994] 2 ERNZ 152;Phipps v NZ Fishing Industry Board [1996] 1 ERNZ 195;Porter v Board of Trustees of Westlake Girls' High School [1998] 1 ERNZ 377;Tupu v Romano’s Pizzas [1995] 2 ERNZ 266;Wellington Road Transport etc IUOW v Fletcher Construction Company Ltd [1983] ACJ 653
Number of Pages 26
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