Worker sacked for doing extra shift

A man was sacked by The Warehouse after working an extra shift to help a mate.

Tipene Hemara showed an "over-zealous commitment" to his employer, the Employment Relations Authority said.

He is now to get more than $9500 after the authority ruled he was unjustifiably dismissed.

Mr Hemara, who worked at the retail chain's Whangarei branch, was sacked in November after he ignored a supervisor's instruction and worked an extra night shift.

The company deemed this serious misconduct but Mr Hemara disputed this and took the case to the authority, claiming unjustifiable dismissal.

Authority member Denis Asher agreed and ordered The Warehouse to pay Mr Hemara $7000 compensation for humiliation and $2533 in lost wages.

Mr Asher said Mr Hemara had no disciplinary record, was committed to the job and the company's "people-relations philosophy".

Mr Hemara's performance reviews clearly recorded his degree of commitment to his team and how much to heart he had taken the company's values, he said.

"Mr Hemara's constant explanation for disobeying his supervisor's instruction not to work an extra shift was clearly an expression of the same, that he was minded to help a fellow employee.

"Ironically, it might be said that Mr Hemara's dismissal resulted from his overzealous commitment to the company and his team."

- NORTHERN ADVOCATE (WHANGAREI)