Worker gets payout after boss's wife's threats

A farm worker has been awarded nearly $20,000 after his boss' wife threatened to have him and his family beaten by her convict son.

The Employment Relations Authority (ERA) found Marinus Antonisse was unjustifiably sacked from his job on the couple's Southland dairy farm in January 2007.

He was hired as farm manager by Hans Vernooij a month before Mr Vernooij left on a brief trip to Holland.

During that time Mr Vernooij's wife Sonia hired two people who Mr Antonisse said had substance abuse problems and failed to help with milking duties.

When Mr Antonisse raised the issue with Mrs Vernooij she "hurled both physical objects and foul mouthed abuse at him", ERA member Paul Montgomery said.

She also threatened to have her son Peter Abraham, who was imprisoned at the time, to beat him up.

Mr Antonisse told the ERA Mrs Vernooij said she would get her son to "beat the crap" out of him and his mother-in-law.

Mrs Vernooij thought Mr Antonisse's mother-in-law had told one of the other farm workers he was about to get a written warning.

"I really took the threat seriously and feared for my wife's and her mum's safety and also for my own safety and our kids," Mr Antonisse said.

The following day Mr Vernooij emailed Mr Antonisse advising he should look for another job as he was about to be replaced.

Mr Antonisse then took two weeks sick leave.

Mr Vernooij insisted Mr Antonisse take a blood test to ensure he was not on illegal drugs.

The test came back clear, but Mr Vernooij did not pay back the money for the test like he promised.

He dismissed Mr Antonisse and refused to pay sick pay or holiday pay, or give him any notice time, leaving Mr Antonisse in a dire financial position.

The family were forced to leave their belongings at the farm house where they were living because they did not have enough money for petrol to collect them.

"In a burst of philanthropic concern, Mr and Mrs Vernooij stuffed the family's remaining belongings into plastic rubbish bags and left these on the porch of the house," Mr Montgomery said.

Mr Vernooij failed to attend ERA meetings and wrote a note implying there was a domestic or alcohol related problem with Mr Antonisse - an allegation the ERA did not accept.

"Mr Vernooij has had every opportunity to rectify the mess he has caused," Mr Montgomery said.

"His failure to provide evidence to the authority on top of his failure to attend a scheduled mediation without excuse and his refusal to acknowledge palpable facts suggests a man who seeks out others to blame for his poor choices and there consequences.

"...I am clear the major influence on the deterioration of the...employment relationship was the bizarre activities and interference of Mrs Vernooij," Mr Montgomery said.

He found Mr Antonisse was unjustifiably dismissed and ordered Mr Vernooij to pay him lost remuneration, holiday pay, reimbursements, compensation and costs totalling $18,929.

- NZPA