Glynavon Home and Hospital Te Puke, where the ERA has ruled a worker fired for serious misconduct should be reinstated. Photo / Stuart Whitaker
The Employment Relations Authority has awarded an aged care worker $20,000 in compensation and ordered her employer to reinstate her after it found she was unjustifiably dismissed.
Treena Radcliffe was working as a healthcare assistant at CHT Glynavon Home and Hospital in Te Puke when she was accused of serious
misconduct and fired.
An Employment Relations Authority determination stated Radcliffe was subject of a "flawed" investigation into an incident involving a resident, referred to in the decision as Mr X.
In March, Radcliffe was working with student nurse Joelle Farminer when they were alerted to Mr X getting out of bed beyond bedtime and found him on his hands and knees. Radcliffe instructed the student to leave Mr X to try to get himself up, which he did, and make his way to a seat.
Mr X tried to get up from the chair but was repeatedly pushed back by Radcliffe, who instructed him to stay in the seat. She did so to prevent Mr X from falling over and harming himself or her because he was considered to be a "falls risk", the determination stated.
