Restrictions OK
Jurisdiction Employment Relations Authority - Wellington
Reference No WA 73/02
Hearing date 15 Aug 2002
Determination date 23 August 2002
Member G J Wood
Representation J Lawrie ; J Bigham
Location Wellington
Parties Puts v Foodstuffs (Wellington) Co-operative Society Ltd
Summary UNJUSTIFIED DISMISSAL - Serious misconduct - Unauthorised possession of company property - Alleged video showed applicant taking and consuming stock - Acted inconsistently with performance of duties - Dismissal based entirely on video evidence - Impossible to ascertain actions from video - Numerous possibilities to explain conduct - Not open to fair and reasonable employer to conclude that applicant committed serious misconduct - No consideration given to explanation for conduct - Dismissal unjustified - Reinstatement appropriate - No reason to have lost trust and confidence in applicant - Selector/picker
Result Application granted ; Reinstatement ordered ; Reimbursement of lost wages (Quantum reserved) ; Compensation for humiliation etc ($10,000) ; Costs reserved
Cases Cited Airline Stewards and Hostesses of NZ IUOW v Air New Zealand Ltd [1990] 3 NZILR 584;Honda NZ Ltd v NZ (with exceptions) Shipwrights etc Union [1990] 3 NZILR 23;Northern Distribution Union v BP Oil NZ Ltd [1992] 3 ERNZ 483;W & H Newspapers Ltd v Oram [2000] 2 ERNZ 448
Number of Pages 12
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