A plumber who had to stand alone in the rain while he waited for a ride home after being sacked has been awarded damages and lost wages by the Employment Relation Authority.
Alex Earl was hired on a temporary basis by plumber Murray McLauchlan in Lower Hutt. Mr Earl and his boss didn't get along well on a personal level, and just 35 days later Mr Earl was dismissed.
Mr Earl was unjustifiably dismissed, the ERA found in a determination released this week, and was awarded two weeks' lost wages and $1,000 for the humiliation of having to stand in the rain on the curb outside the workshop until he could get a ride home.
Mr Earl had applied for $10,000 in damages, however the ERA dismissed the claim, saying he did not adequately outline what the money was for.
His boss had verbally abused him and threatened him, Mr Earl told the ERA, and had made him work in an asbestos-contaminated area.
