Restrictions OK
Jurisdiction Employment Relations Authority - Wellington
Reference No WA 176/09
Hearing date 28 Oct 2009
Determination date 11 November 2009
Member G J Wood
Representation G Ogilvie ; J Sumner, K Berry
Location Wellington
Parties Stewart v Whitireia Community Polytechnic
Summary RAISING PERSONAL GRIEVANCE – Whether grievance raised within 90 day period – Applicant claimed unjustified dismissal and unjustified disadvantage – Applicant telephoned respondent and explained raising personal grievance – Applicant sought advice from Community Law Centre – Community Law Centre solicitor aware of 90 day period but mistakenly thought it meant 90 working days – Community Law Centre solicitor believed applicant already raised grievance – Respondent claimed grievance not raised within 90 day period – Authority found telephone advice of personal grievance prospective and contained no detail – Found grievance not raised by telephone conversation with respondent – Found grievance not raised by Community Law Centre solicitor – Found exceptional circumstances made out through Community Law Centre’s failure to raise unjustified dismissal grievance – Applicant failed to raise unjustified disadvantage grievance within time – Found allegations generalised and related to events that occurred eighteen to twenty-four months ago – Authority declined to grant leave to pursue personal grievance for unjustified disadvantage – Parties directed to mediation – Faculty administrator
Result Application granted (raising unjustified dismissal personal grievance) ; Application dismissed (raising unjustified disadvantage personal grievance) ; Costs reserved
Main Category Raising PG
Statutes ERA s114;ERA s114(5);ERA s115B
Cases Cited BOT of Te Kura Kaupapa Motuhake O Tawhiuau v Edmonds [2008] ERNZ 139;Coy v Commissioner of Police unreported, Colgan CJ, 19 November 2007, CC 23/07;Creedy v Commissioner of Police [2006] ERNZ 517
Number of Pages 7
PDF File Link: wa 176_09.pdf [pdf 23 KB]