Restrictions OK
Jurisdiction Employment Relations Authority - Auckland
Reference No AA 386/03
Hearing date 30 Oct 2003
Determination date 18 February 2004
Member R A Monaghan
Representation K O'Regan (Applicant in person) ; A Fitzgibbon
Location Auckland
Parties O'Regan v Greenpeace NZ Inc.
Summary UNJUSTIFIED DISMISSAL - Redundancy - Genuine redundancy - Position disestablished following restructuring - Applicant told position may be disestablished and asked for comments - Given tight timeframe to reply - Applicant emotionally distressed over hearing position to be disestablished - Applicant unsuccessfully requested copies of new position job descriptions - Applicant found job descriptions on computer and concluded had been deliberately withheld - New positions developed without applicant's input despite assertions of consultation - Situation did not warrant continuous imposition of short timeframes by respondent - No ulterior motive for redundancy - Failure in communication meant lost opportunity to avoid lose of employment - Opportunities for applicant to give meaningful input continually closed down - Unhelpful for respondent to dismiss mediation option - Consultation process flawed - Dismissal unjustified - Remedies - Much of applicant's distress due to position disappearing and belief that manager wanted to get rid of her - Applicant's contribution to communication failures taken into account in awarding compensation of $3,000 - Direct marketing manager
Result Application granted ; Compensation for humiliation etc ($3,000) ; Costs reserved
Statutes ERA s143(c);ERA s144(2)(c);ERA s144(2)(d);ERA s147
Cases Cited Aoraki Corporation Ltd v McGavin [1998] 1 ERNZ 601;Coutts Cars Ltd v Baguley [2001] ERNZ 660;G N Hale & Son Ltd v Wellington etc Caretakers etc IUOW [1991] 1 NZLR 151
Number of Pages 9
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