Clear and consistent rules on staff purchases result in justified dismissal...

An employee has lost her personal grievance case for unjustified dismissal as the Employment Relations Authority held that the employer’s rules on staff purchases were very clear and consistently applied.

The employee had taken an item from the shop stock and forgotten to pay for it that day.  She was rostered off the next two days but went in on the second of the days to pay for the item.  The matter was reported to management and further investigations revealed other apparent breaches of the staff discount card policy.  These were also investigated and after a disciplinary process the employee was dismissed.  She had allowed others to purchase goods on her staff discount card which was not allowed (apart from a spouse).

The ERA held that a fair process was followed, that the policies were very clear on both staff paying for purchases at the time, and use of the discount card, and that the policies were consistently applied.  The ERA upheld the dismissal as what a fair and reasonable employer could do in the circumstances.

Alan Knowsley