Restrictions OK
Jurisdiction Employment Relations Authority - Auckland
Reference No AA 103/04
Hearing date 19 Nov 2003
Determination date 29 March 2004
Member K J Anderson
Representation R Mark ; J Pearson
Location Auckland
Parties Jonson v Asure New Zealand Ltd
Summary BREACH OF CONTRACT - Respondent ceased to roster applicant across all shifts to avoid paying shift allowance - Alleged respondent not entitled to unilaterally alter employment conditions simply for fiscal or commercial reasons - Contract entitled respondent to determine roster subject to consulting and attempting to reach agreement with applicant - No express or implied contractual provision for applicant to be rostered across all shifts - Unilateral change without consultation breached contract - Entitled to minimum 4 weeks' notice of change to allow for proper consultation - Remedies - Applicant entitled to payments he would have received for further 3 weeks on shift rosters - Respondent's counterclaim for sums paid to applicant in error allowed - Set off - UNJUSTIFIED DISADVANTAGE - Appropriate to address problem as personal grievance - Indecent haste in implementing roster change constituted unjustified disadvantage - Little evidence of humiliation - Meat inspector
Result Application granted ; Counterclaim allowed ; Compensation for humiliation, etc ($2,000) ; Costs reserved
Statutes ERA s4(4)(c);ERA s157;ERA s160(3)
Cases Cited G N Hale & Son Ltd v Wellington etc Caretakers etc IUOW [1991] 1 NZLR 151;Grant v Superstrike Bowling Centres Ltd [1992] 1 ERNZ 727;Wellington International Airport Ltd v Air NZ Ltd [1993] 1 NZLR 671
Number of Pages 9
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