Sex-talk postie gets job back

Three women have complained about the postie. Photo / APN

New Zealand Post has been told it must reinstate a postie accused of making sexual comments to a woman living on his delivery route - and walking into her home uninvited to help himself to her baking.

Two other women also complained about the postie, who cannot be named for legal reasons, saying they were uncomfortable about him handing them mail personally rather than leaving it in the mailbox.

The Employment Relations Authority says the postie befriended the main complainant, known as "Ms A", after introducing himself to her while working in about June last year.

She later invited him in for a drink, but asked a friend to take him home because she became uncomfortable with his behaviour.

Ms A gave the postie her phone number because she was a tattoo artist and wanted him to pass it on to friends wanting tattoos.

She alleged the postie sent her sexually explicit text messages, made unwanted sexual remarks, invited himself into her house and spent an unwarranted amount of time at her address.

The pair also communicated using Facebook and instant messaging.

Ms A accused him of sending lewd text messages which NZ Post deemed serious misconduct. But the ERA said this was never substantiated.

The postie told the ERA the pair had a "mutually flirtatious texting and Facebooking relationship".

Another complaint related to a woman who said the postie contacted her through a dating website to ask her how "mail was going".

A third woman complained she felt uncomfortable when he came and handed her mail.

The authority decision also revealed the postie complained to police after being beaten up by two men outside one of the women's homes in an attack which put him off work for four weeks.

He said two men emerged from Ms A's property. One punched and kicked him in an assault that broke his bicycle helmet and left him with a cut ear.

The other man had demanded he apologise to Ms A, who said she was not at home when the attack happened.

Authority member Robin Arthur found that New Zealand Post had insufficient evidence when it fired the man and ordered the company to reinstate him to the payroll.

The judgement suggested he could be placed on leave until his personal grievance was heard by the Employment Relations Authority next month.