In one case a recruitment company was ordered by the ERA to pay $8,760 for unjustifiably dismissing an employee from her job.

The employee left work early one day to collect her daughter from childcare as she was not well.   The employee phoned a director of the recruitment company to say she would come in earlier the following day to make up the time.

That same day another one of the recruitment company’s directors phoned the employee and told her that she didn’t need to bother coming in to work the next day as they no longer needed her.

The ERA found the employee was unjustifiably dismissed and was entitled to $8,760 for lost wages and compensation for humiliation and injury to her feelings.

The case highlights the importance of following the law and proper process with regards to dismissing employees.

For a dismissal to be justified it has to be both procedurally and substantively fair.   This means that the dismissal must be carried out in a fair way (procedurally fair) and there must be a good reason for such dismissal (substantively fair).   In this case both aspects were not followed resulting in a payment of $8,760 to the employee.

For a free guide on the steps that need to be followed check out our downloads section or call Alan Knowsley.