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A rest home has been ordered to pay one of its workers $8260 by the Employment Relations Authority after it found the woman had been unjustifiably dismissed.
Alice Tamati was fired by the Glenbrook Lodge rest home at Whitby, near Porirua, in January, just days after she was alleged to have verbally abused a resident for soiling himself.
Ms Tamati, who had worked at the home for 10 years, denied she had abused the man, saying she had not sworn or shouted at him.
Two other employees told the authority that while the woman's voice was raised and she sounded frustrated, she did not swear at him.
The company said that Ms Tamati had admitted abusing the resident but authority member Denis Asher said he did not accept this.
He also said he did not accept that Ms Tamati's admission that she used a loud voice at the resident amounted to serious misconduct.
Mr Asher awarded Ms Tamati $1260 in lost wages, $7000 compensation and $1500 costs.
Glenbrook Lodge was owned by New Zealand Life Care Investments (NZLCI) at the time of the incident but has since been sold to Guardian Healthcare.
NZLCI went into receivership in October 2006.
- NZPA
