Restrictions OK
Jurisdiction Employment Relations Authority - Christchurch
Reference No CA 44/05
Hearing date 17 Jan 2005 - 28 Jan 2005 (3 days)
Determination date 05 April 2005
Member J Crichton
Representation J Goldstein ; K Binnie
Location Christchurch
Parties Burnside v Ministry of Social Development
Summary UNJUSTIFIED DISMISSAL - Seven successive fixed term agreements - Employed to cover position of staff member who was on secondment - No legitimate expectation of continuing employment - Whether applicant told why employment to end on stipulated date - Inconceivable that applicant could reasonably claim did not understand reason why fixed term would end - No breach of section 4 Employment Relations Act 2000 - Section 66 complied with - Multiplicity of extensions did not make situation of ongoing employment - UNJUSTIFIED DISADVANTAGE - Pre-interview comment made that because applicant filling role on temporary basis did not carry with it implication that she could assume job was hers - Comment ill advised - Commended to respondent that they restrain from issuing those kinds of warnings prior to interview process - No disadvantage - Solicitor/prosecutor
Result Application dismissed ; Costs reserved
Statutes ERA s4;ERA s66;ERA s66(2)(a);ERA s66(2)(b);State Sector Act s60;State Sector Act s61
Cases Cited Canterbury Westland Free Kindergarten Association (t/a Kidsfirst Kindergartens) v New Zealand Educational Institute unreported, Goddard CJ, 24 June 2004, CC 14/04;Norske Skog Tasman Ltd v Clarke [2004] 3 NZLR 323
Number of Pages 13
PDF File Link: ca 44_05.pdf [pdf 59 KB]