An Employment Court ruling that awarded a senior executive more than $27,000 in compensation and lost wages after he was fired for sending text messages to a junior staff member could reflect on the safety of young women at work, a Northland businessman said.
Steve Bowling, owner of Big Kahuna Holdings, is disappointed at the court's ruling after his company was ordered to pay former employee and group general manager Brendon Booth $10,000 in compensation plus a further $17,080 in lost wages.
Mr Booth was fired in May 2013 after he sent a series of text messages to a female employee which the company viewed as inappropriate.
He challenged his dismissal in the Employment Relations Authority but lost and he then appealed to the Employment Court.
In May 2012, Mr Booth began a relationship with Mr Bowling's daughter who was 17 years his junior and who also worked at the company.