Quick quit employee ordered to pay up

An employee of a car technology installation company who resigned without warning, and without returning company property, has been ordered by the Employment Relations Authority to pay his former employer over $3500.

Installer Services Group Limited, a nationwide company, received an undated handwritten note from its Nelson/Marlborough installer, Ashley Burd, around March 22 last year, saying he was resigning immediately because of "family crap".

The letter said "everything you need", relating to the company's property in Mr Burd's possession, was with his company car, which he left parked at Nelson airport.

Installer Services said at the time of the unexpected resignation, Mr Burd had two Panasonic CD players belonging to the company, along with a company float of $500 and unaccounted banking.

The company was seeking costs for the car's retrieval from the airport, $1506 plus GST for work lost due to his failure to give notice of his resignation, and the recovery of two weeks' notice.

In December, the Employment Relations Authority served documents to Mr Burd's parents as his whereabouts were unknown.

No further contact had been made with Mr Burd, so the authority proceeded with the matter.

The authority was satisfied Installer Services were put out by Mr Burd's resignation, and directed Mr Burd to pay his former employer costs for the property not recovered, and for overpaid wages and car-recovery costs to a total of $3546.26.

- NZPA