Driver abused by boss's son gets $17k

A Kapiti man has been awarded more than $17,000 after he was verbally and physically abused by his employers' son.

The Employment Relations Authority (ERA) found Hayden Kirkwood was unjustifiably dismissed from his job at DAS Transport Limited in May last year.

Mr Kirkwood began working for the company, run by David and Tania Stewart, as a driver in October 2007.

The Stewarts' son, Brandyn, began verbally and physically abusing Mr Kirkwood several months later.

Mr Kirkwood complained but no action was taken.

Brandyn Stewart continued to harass him, threatening to damage his house and car and sending text messages with similar threats.

On May 6, Brandyn Stewart told Mr Kirkwood that his "job for the week is to wind you up so that you hand your notice in, because we want Nick (a Stewart family member) to have your job".

Later that same day he spat in Mr Kirkwood's face.

Mr Kirkwood said the bullying had become so stressful he started suffering severe headaches and eczema and was forced to resigned from the job.

DAS denied the abuse but said Brandyn Stewart had sent some text threats in response to a threat from Mr Kirkwood.

The Stewart family failed to show at several scheduled mediation sessions and did not respond to some correspondence from the authority.

"I have no reason to doubt Mr Kirkwood's allegations of sustained bullying, of being verbally abused, physically assaulted and spat at, and that - despite raising them with his employer - it did nothing about his concerns," authority member Denis Asher said.

The company had deliberately forced Mr Kirkwood's resignation, he said.

Mr Kirkwood was awarded $6505.33 in lost wages, $80 medical costs and $10,000 compensation for hurt and humiliation.

- NZPA