NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • All Blacks
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • Deloitte Fast 50
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand

Insults halve job payout

John Weekes
By John Weekes
Senior Business Reporter·Herald on Sunday·
3 Nov, 2012 04:30 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
ERA member David Appleton heard of long-running dramas at a workplace where everything from a stapler and keys to filing cabinets and email access caused disputes. Photo / Thinkstock
ERA member David Appleton heard of long-running dramas at a workplace where everything from a stapler and keys to filing cabinets and email access caused disputes. Photo / Thinkstock

ERA member David Appleton heard of long-running dramas at a workplace where everything from a stapler and keys to filing cabinets and email access caused disputes. Photo / Thinkstock

Tutor wins compensation, despite comments

An adult literacy group has been torn apart by internal squabbles including highly colourful language about nuts and seaweed.

The fallout has led to one disgruntled language tutor, who said his bosses "collectively generated less neural power than a pickled walnut", winning compensation after he resigned with hurt feelings.

Tutor Patrick O'Sullivan won his case with the Employment Relations Authority, which found his bosses failed to act in good faith.

O'Sullivan and fellow tutor Karen Pivott both served on the Southern Adult Literacy Inc committee that employed them.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

ERA member David Appleton heard of long-running dramas at a workplace where everything from a stapler and keys to filing cabinets and email access caused disputes.

Problems started in 2008 but a chain of events, including last year's Christchurch earthquake and an Employment Court case, delayed last month's ERA hearing in Invercargill.

Pivott recalled a bizarre incident when her cellphone went missing but turned up four days later in the handle of the front door of her home. A perceived conflict of interest led to Pivott standing down as chair.

Meanwhile, disputes over the scope of O'Sullivan's role caused him to stand down from the commitee as well.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

As his employment relationship unravelled, O'Sullivan expressed himself in colourful language, which the ERA said alienated his bosses. In a letter, O'Sullivan described one colleague as "so much weed around the keel" and made the walnut comment. O'Sullivan also referred to the committee as "subverted cronies".

Appleton said O'Sullivan's style "blinded" his employers. "While Mr O'Sullivan characterises the manner as scornful, it was also often extremely forceful, haranguing and belittling."

The ERA heard from another witness who said O'Sullivan's writing left two women in tears.

Although the ERA also heard O'Sullivan was referred to as a "gnome" in an email, Appleton reduced O'Sullivan's award.

Discover more

Employment

Sacked driver who told boss to 'stick it' awarded $10k

30 Oct 01:36 AM
Employment

$185,000 in unpaid bonuses awarded

02 Nov 12:30 AM
New Zealand|crime

Employment authority backs fired fraudster

02 Nov 04:30 PM
Employment

Caregiver neglected disabled man

02 Nov 10:00 PM

"He states that he was provoked to scorn and acerbity by the respondent's actions, but that reaction does not ... justify the award of $10,000." Instead, $5000 was awarded, cut in half again because of O'Sullivan's "alienating" style.

O'Sullivan and Pivott could not be reached for comment. SAL and its advocate Mary-Jane Thomas said she understood O'Sullivan might appeal some aspect of the determination. Pivott was awarded $7500.

Save
    Share this article

Latest from New Zealand

Premium
Politics

‘Deeply regret’: Winston Peters writes to United Nations after David Seymour letter

Premium
OpinionThomas Coughlan

Thomas Coughlan: Government kicks can down the road on Palestinian statehood

New Zealand

Heartbreak as woman found dead in apartment block


Sponsored

Farm plastic recycling: Getting it right saves cows, cash, and the planet

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Recommended for you

Heartbreak as woman found dead in apartment block
New Zealand

Heartbreak as woman found dead in apartment block

Female Auckland education worker charged with grooming, sexually abusing boys
New Zealand

Female Auckland education worker charged with grooming, sexually abusing boys

New poll: Luxon’s popularity drops to lowest in two years, Labour rises
Politics

New poll: Luxon’s popularity drops to lowest in two years, Labour rises

Indian police arrest fake police running 'crime bureau'
World

Indian police arrest fake police running 'crime bureau'

US family move to NZ for trans daughter in ‘escape plan’ from Trump policies
Lifestyle

US family move to NZ for trans daughter in ‘escape plan’ from Trump policies

Maluma takes fan to task for bringing baby to loud concert
Entertainment

Maluma takes fan to task for bringing baby to loud concert



Latest from New Zealand

Premium
Premium
‘Deeply regret’: Winston Peters writes to United Nations after David Seymour letter
Politics

‘Deeply regret’: Winston Peters writes to United Nations after David Seymour letter

Foreign Minister acknowledges breakdown in diplomatic protocol.

11 Aug 07:29 AM
Premium
Premium
Thomas Coughlan: Government kicks can down the road on Palestinian statehood
Thomas Coughlan
OpinionThomas Coughlan

Thomas Coughlan: Government kicks can down the road on Palestinian statehood

11 Aug 07:14 AM
Heartbreak as woman found dead in apartment block
New Zealand

Heartbreak as woman found dead in apartment block

11 Aug 07:00 AM


Farm plastic recycling: Getting it right saves cows, cash, and the planet
Sponsored

Farm plastic recycling: Getting it right saves cows, cash, and the planet

10 Aug 09:12 PM

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP
search by queryly Advanced Search