Auckland (Avneet Kaur) An Auckland barber who lost his job through a text message has been awarded more than $24,000 after employment authorities ruled his boss failed to follow basic workplace rules before firing him.
The case centred around barber Raheel Reddy, who had been working at an Auckland barbershop since 2023.
The trouble began after Reddy’s car was badly damaged in a motorway crash and had to be written off.
A few days later, while looking for a replacement vehicle, he informed his employer that he would be running late for work. He later sent another message saying he was on his way and expected to arrive shortly.
But before he reached the shop, a text message from his boss changed everything.
The message informed him that his remaining leave would be paid out and asked him to collect his barber tools. When Reddy questioned whether he was being dismissed, the employer replied that he no longer wanted to keep him at the business.
The barbershop later claimed the worker had effectively quit on his own and pointed to previous concerns about lateness and attendance.
However, the Employment Relations Authority disagreed.
The Authority found that the worker had not resigned and that the employer had effectively ended the employment relationship through the text messages.
It also found the company skipped important legal steps before making the decision.
According to the ruling, the employer did not properly investigate the situation, did not formally discuss concerns with the worker and gave him no opportunity to explain his side before terminating his employment.
The Authority concluded the dismissal was unfair and unjustified.
As a result, the former employee was awarded more than $14,000 for lost earnings, along with holiday pay.
He also received $10,800 compensation for the stress, humiliation and emotional impact caused by the way he lost his job.
While the Authority acknowledged the worker had previously been warned about attendance issues, it said those concerns did not excuse the employer’s actions.
The compensation amount was 20% reduced because the Authority considered the worker’s own conduct had contributed to the situation.
In total, the Auckland barbershop has been ordered to pay more than $24,000.
