Prime to pay $5000 for unjust sacking

Prime Television has been ordered to pay $5000 to a former Hamilton sales representative it sacked after she failed to meet performance targets.

Annette Busch was employed by the broadcaster in 1998. She was fired in October 2004 after being issued two written warnings, in July 2003 and January 2004.

Ms Busch complained to the Employment Relations Authority her dismissal was unfair because the targets were unreasonable and set without her input.

Her performance had significantly improved and there had been large gaps between the written warnings, which were issued for separate reasons, she told the authority.

The first was regarding her attitude and way she dealt with others in Prime's Hamilton office. The second, which was a final warning, concerned her having the lowest number of new sales prospects in her weekly reports.

The authority, in a reserved decision, found the time between the warnings was not unreasonable. It accepted the warnings were not for the same issue and therefore the second warning was not a final warning.

It also found Prime admitted setting high sales targets and they could not be considered minimum performance standards. Ms Busch generated the highest revenue of six Waikato sales representatives in the months of July, August and October 2004.

The authority ruled Ms Busch's dismissal was procedurally and substantively unjustified because Prime's treatment of her was inconsistent with her colleagues'.

- NZPA