A Christchurch secondhand store worker fired for purchasing a stolen bass guitar was not unjustifiably dismissed, the Employment Relations Authority has found.
Andrew Simpson had been employed by Cash Converters in Christchurch for more than seven years when he was dismissed in September last year for failing to undertake due diligence and skill in purchasing the bass, which was later found to be stolen.
He had broken the law and company policy by failing to record the serial number of the bass, failing to call police to check it against their stolen goods database, and failing to be alert to circumstances which made it more than likely it was stolen.
The guitar was worth as much as $1000 retail, but the seller readily accepted $220 for it, which the company said should have been suspect to an experienced secondhand goods purchaser.
Mr Simpson claimed he was unjustifiably dismissed because he felt the issue had been dealt with in a meeting with his manager, and that a letter calling him to a further meeting had not indicated the possibility he would be dismissed.
He also claimed a phone call with the branch manager prior to the second meeting gave him the impression it would be "no big deal".
Authority member James Crichton ruled in Cash Converters' favour, saying that although the procedures leading to Mr Simpson's dismissal were not ideal, the company had sufficient evidence of serious misconduct to make dismissal an appropriate response.
