A Waikato (New Zealand) Inghams Chicken employee has been awarded $4000 in compensation for unfair dismissal.
Amarjit Singh, who was employed as an egg collector for the company was allegedly accused of lying about a back injury that he injured on 21 October 2011, and was subsequently dismissed on 28 February 2012 as Inghams claimed that he could no longer carry out his duties, stuff.co.nz reports.
Sheree Mansell, Inghams’ case manager declined Singh’s claim for compensation stating that the incident could not be corroborated by other staff.
Singh provided Inghams’ farm manager Muhannad Juma with a medical certificate on 14 November 2011, followed by several other medical certificates over the following months stating that Singh was only fit for light duties.
Singh told the Employment Relations Authority that the company accused him of lying about the injury, and informed him that it was not possible to allocate light duties to him.
Singh’s dismissal was found unjustified by the Employment Relations Authority with member K J Anderson stating that “the key requirements of the incapacity clause of the employment agreement were not observed."