Sandblasting Specialists Otago Ltd has been ordered by the Employment Relations Authority to pay former employee Paul Newton $1315.
Mr Newton was found by the authority to have been unjustifiably dismissed on June 11, 2010 as the company failed to consult adequately, but a claim he was unjustifiably dismissed on August 2 failed.
Authority member Michael Lotfus said Mr Newton incurred legal costs of $3280 and also sought a contribution to his travel costs from his new home in Nelson of $565.75 and two days earnings of $240.
Mr Loftus found that as the hearing took half a day and only one claim was successful, half the award of $1500, $750 was an appropriate contribution towards costs.
He did not consider the claim for wages but accepted the argument for travel costs, awarding $565.75 as a contribution towards the cost of travelling to the investigation meeting.
