Nearly $10k for hairdresser forced to resign

A Queenstown hairdresser who says she was forced to resign from her role as a senior stylist has been awarded nearly $10,000 in lost wages and compensation.

Laura Court quit her job at Loose Ends in July 2009 after the terms of her employment were changed and her hourly wage was reduced.

Ms Court said she was also criticised regularly, often in front of customers.

In an Employment Relations Authority (ERA) decision released today, Loose Ends manager and part-owner Sheryn Stone said Ms Court's hourly rate was reduced from $18 to $16 an hour because she was not performing at the appropriate level.

Ms Court's contract was altered after she failed to sign and return it and an audit by the Labour Department required changes to holiday pay conditions, she said.

The new contract also featured a trial period.

Ms Stone told the ERA she was not happy with Ms Court's work and the pair spoke about performance issues on several occasions.

She also admitted saying Ms Court "must have been sitting on the shelf" in her last job.

Ms Court eventually resigned via text message.

"She subsequently concluded that the contractual changes, along with the treatment to which she had been subjected, meant continuing was not tenable," ERA member Mike Loftus said.

He found Ms Court was constructively dismissed and Ms Stone had "brought the situation upon herself".

Ms Court was awarded $1782 in lost wages and $8000 compensation for humiliation and loss of dignity.

- NZPA