Restrictions OK
Jurisdiction Employment Relations Authority - Christchurch
Reference No CA 1/08
Hearing date 11 Sep 2007
Determination date 10 January 2008
Member P Montgomery
Representation T Oldfield ; P McBride
Location Christchurch
Parties Butcher v OCS Ltd
Summary UNJUSTIFIED DISMISSAL - Misconduct - Respondent claimed applicant dismissed for disobeying instructions regarding smoking at work - Applicant suspended after seen smoking while working - Respondent considered risk of reoffending and risk to its service contract with third party high - Applicant dismissed for serious misconduct after failed to propose alternatives to dismissal as requested - Applicant previously warned for smoking in uniform and instructed on appropriate behaviour - Advised breach of instructions would be serious misconduct - Applicant argued warning expired and code of conduct listed smoking as only misconduct, not serious misconduct - While warning likely expired did not mean formal instructions to restrict applicant’s smoking to authorised times and places expired with it - Applicant believed other positions proposed by respondent would have paid less, but his non-response meant matter never progressed to negotiations - Respondent justified in relying on specific instructions issued to applicant with warning and entitled to consider their breach serious misconduct - Any suspension agreed to by applicant’s representative - Dismissal justified - Trolley person
Result Application dismissed ; Costs reserved
Main Category Personal Grievance
Statutes ERA s103A
Number of Pages 8
PDF File Link: ca 1_08.pdf [pdf 37 KB]