Restrictions OK
Jurisdiction Employment Relations Authority - Auckland
Reference No AA 353/08
Hearing date 1 Sep 2008
Determination date 13 October 2008
Member R A Monaghan
Representation C Scott, L Fowler ; D Law
Location Auckland
Parties Scott & Anor v Skin & Steel Ltd
Other Parties Fowler
Summary PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE – Identity of respondent - Statement of problem cited respondent and Kustom Tattoo Limited (“KT”) as respondents – Respondent and KT had same sole shareholder and director – Authority found no evidence that applicants employed by KT - KT struck out as a respondent – JURISDICTION – First applicant (“S”) to help organise event for respondent – S to provide timesheets and invoice respondent for hours worked and expenses incurred – Respondent argued whether S to be paid was contingent on event making money – S claimed was to be paid when event sponsorship finalised, regardless of success of event – Fact that S’s activities of kind expected of assistant to principal event organiser, did not of itself mean employment relationship existed – Authority noted that friendships, looseness of business arrangements and inexperience in management caused confusion - Second applicant (“F”) engaged under same arrangement as S – F primarily assisted and accompanied S – F engaged for less than one week – Written employment agreements destroyed by respondent, so S’s recollection of contents preferred – Found nothing in contents of signed agreements in favour of finding of employment relationships – Found parties intended relationships to be more formal than simply arrangements between friends, but no mutual intention to enter employment relationships – Initial discussions not capable of being construed as offers of employment – No discussion about key terms of employment – No constraints or requirements regarding hours of work – No element of control indicative of employment relationship - No employment relationships – Personal grievances and claims for monies owed not available remedies - Event organiser
Result Applications dismissed ; Costs reserved
Main Category Jurisdiction
Statutes ERA 2000 s6
Number of Pages 8
PDF File Link: aa 353_08.pdf [pdf 27 KB]