Restrictions OK
Jurisdiction Employment Relations Authority - Auckland
Reference No AA 312/04
Hearing date 7 Sep 2004
Determination date 24 September 2004
Member D King
Representation KA Muir ; P Tremewan
Location Auckland
Parties Tisch v Regional Health Ltd
Summary UNJUSTIFIED DISMISSAL - Constructive dismissal - Relationship problems between applicant and consultant prompted aggressive email from manager - Applicant instructed to leave office after calmly explaining concerns about manager's email - Possibility of restructure raised by manager in subsequent meeting - Applicant instructed to take day off - Conciliatory email from applicant raised concerns about possible dismissal - Applicant resigned after another meeting in which manager failed to address issues raised in conciliatory email and instructed her to take further day off - Manager should have offered applicant opportunity to be represented if meetings intended to be disciplinary in nature - Failure to deal with concerns raised in conciliatory email breach of relationship of trust and confidence - Instructions to go home in absence of contractual provision for suspension amounted to three unlawful suspensions - Resignation reasonably foreseeable consequence of breaches - Unjustified constructive dismissal - UNJUSTIFIED DISADVANTAGE - Three unlawful suspensions deprived applicant of opportunity to work and caused emotional and physical harm - Unjustified disadvantage - REMEDIES - Appropriate to award more than minimum three months reimbursement of lost wages - Manager
Result Applications granted ; Reimbursement of lost wages ($11,582.60)(5 months 10 days) ; Lost benefit ($3,500)(Motor vehicle) ; Compensation for humiliation etc ($8,000) ; Costs reserved
Cases Cited Auckland Electric Power Board v Auckland Provincial District Local Authorities Officers IUOW [1994] 1 ERNZ 168 ; [1994] 2 NZLR 415
Number of Pages 6
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