Restrictions OK
Jurisdiction Employment Relations Authority - Wellington
Reference No WA 128/05
Hearing date 7 Jul 2005
Determination date 03 August 2005
Member D Asher
Representation P Cranney ; H Kynaston
Location Wellington
Parties Tararo v Toll NZ Consolidated Holdings Ltd
Summary UNJUSTIFIED DISMISSAL - Serious misconduct - Applicant summarily dismissed for theft - Ferry passenger told respondent she observed applicant stealing from till - Allegation that he had rung on only big orders but not small orders - Applicant alleged he had placed money in pocket to exchange for coins - Evidence in support of dismissal for serious charge had to be as convincing as charge was grave - Till records supported applicant's account over passenger's complaint - Fair employer could not conclude serious misconduct had occurred without giving till record sufficient scrutiny and without giving applicant opportunity to make submissions in respect of till record - Inadequate investigation - Dismissal unjustified - Barman/cashier
Result Application granted ; Reinstatement ordered ; Parties directed to mediation to facilitate reinstatement ; Reimbursement of lost wages (Quantum to be determined by parties) ; Compensation for humiliation ($15,000) ; Costs reserved
Statutes ERA s124;ERA s125;ERA s159
Cases Cited Airline Stewards and Hostesses of NZ IUOW v Air New Zealand Ltd [1990] 3 NZLR 549;NZ (with exceptions) Shipwrights etc Union v Honda NZ Ltd [1989] 3 NZILR 82;W & H Newspapers Ltd v Oram [2000] 2 ERNZ 448 ; [2001] 3 NZLR 29
Number of Pages 13
PDF File Link: wa 128_05.pdf [pdf 53 KB]