Restrictions OK
Jurisdiction Employment Relations Authority - Christchurch
Reference No CA 138/04
Hearing date 11 Aug 2004 - 12 Aug 2004 (2 days)
Determination date 22 November 2004
Member H Doyle
Representation J Beck ; A Klinkert
Location Christchurch
Parties A v B Ltd
Summary SEXUAL HARASSMENT - Comments and innuendo by manager and senior employee concerning sexual matters - Alleged manager spread rumour concerning applicant - Language used by manager was of sexual nature - Comments unwelcome and offensive to applicant despite demonstration of apparent resilience at workplace - Comments had detrimental effect on applicant's job satisfaction - Applicant sexually harassed by manager - Senior employee not representative of respondent - Necessary complaint to management about behaviour not made - Harassment claim against senior employee not made out - UNJUSTIFIED DISMISSAL - Constructive dismissal - Applicant resigned citing harassment and unpleasant treatment" as reason - Resignation due primarily to rumour allegedly spread by manager and performance issues which had resulted in written warning rather than to comments of sexual nature - Warning fair - On balance of probabilities manager not responsible for rumour - Resignation in reliance on those incidents not reasonably foreseeable - No constructive dismissal - Order prohibiting publication of details identifying parties"
Result Application granted (Sexual harassment) ; Application dismissed (Unjustified dismissal) ; Compensation for humiliation etc ($3,000) ; Costs reserved
Statutes ERA s108;ERA s108(1)(b)(ii);ERA s117;ERA s123(c)(i);ERA Second Schedule cl10(1)
Cases Cited Z & Y Ltd v A [1993] 2 ERNZ 469
Number of Pages 8
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