A Dunedin Hospital cleaner who was sacked after telling hospital kitchen staff one of their colleagues had died has been awarded nearly $11,000 for an unjustified dismissal.
Sally-Ann Dalliessi was dismissed by ISS Facility Services Ltd, a contractor to the hospital, in May this year for a breach of confidentiality.
Ms Dalliessi had seen the deceased kitchen staffer on a bed, with her head uncovered at the request of her partner, coming out of a lift.
She later said what she'd seen to another kitchen staffer, who told her: "I will pretend I didn't hear that."
Ms Dalliessi, who had also been the subject of a January 2009 complaint about unprofessional comments about a staff member and the relaying of personal information about that employee to other staff, was subsequently dismissed.
However, Employment Relations Authority member Michael Loftus said there were a number of deficiencies in the investigation of Ms Dalliessi's breach.
Mr Loftus said it wasn't considered whether confidentiality had been waived by the deceased person's partner's request to have her head uncovered, and he said the time that had passed since the previous complaint was too long for it to be considered.
He also said it appeared that the investigation was procedurally deficient and the outcome was effectively a fait accompli.
ISS was ordered to pay Ms Dalliessi $6983.80 as reimbursement of wages as a result of her unjustified dismissal and a further $4000 as compensation for humiliation and loss of dignity.
NZN