Kerry Elizabeth Berger v Wee Waa & District Home and Community Care Incorporated [2008] NSWIRComm 1074

Industrial Relations Commission of New South Wales

CITATION: Kerry Elizabeth Berger v Wee Waa & District Home and Community Care Incorporated [2008] NSWIRComm 1074

APPLICANT: PARTIES: Kerry Berger RESPODENT: Wee Waa & District Home & Community Care Association Incorporated.

FILE NUMBER(S): 1904 of 2007

CORAM: Bishop C

Unfair Dismissal - community funded organisation - applicant volunteer driver and administration employee - policy and legal requirement for volunteers' cars to be registered - applicant's vehicle registration expired - 8 trips whilst unregistered - came to her knowledge - husband drove client to Tamworth - vehicle then registered - applicant organised trip - resignation offered by employer - rejected - applicant alleged 3 months trial under supervision offered - denied by employer - dismissed for serious misconduct - compensation sought. CATCHWORDS: HELD: Serious misconduct committed - no offer of trial period - dismissal warranted in circumstances - not harsh, unjust or unreasonable - application dismissed- no order as to costs.

LEGISLATION CITED: Industrial Relations Act 1996

Antonakopoulos v State Bank of New South Wales (1999) 91 IR 385 Bankstown City Council v Paris (1999) 93 IR 209 Briginshaw v Briginshaw (1938) 60 CLR 336 Budlong v NCR Australia Pty Limited (2003) NSWIRComm 288 Byrne and Frew v Australian Airlines Limited (1995) 185 CLR 410 Busways v Johnson (1994) 55 IR 255 Concut Pty Limited v Worrell (2000) 75 AWR 312 Day v Lumley life (1999) 90 IR 70 Franklins Ltd v Webb (1996) 72 IR 257 Hill v Department of Juvenile Justice (2000) NSWIRComm 128 John Lysaght (Australia) Limited v Federated Iron workers Association of NSW, NSW Division & Ors (unreported Sheppard J, Matter 259/1972) Little v Commissioner of Police (No 2) 112 IR 212 New South Wales Fire Brigade Employees (on behalf of Natoli) v New South Wales Fire Brigades [2005] NSWIRComm 1170 CASES CITED: New South Wales Nurses' Association (on behalf of Colin Prior) v South Eastern Sydney & Illawarra Area Health Service [2007] NSWIRComm 164 NUW (on behalf of Khan ) v Cuno Pacific Pty Ltd (2005) 146 IR 441 North v Television Corporation Limited (1976) 11 ALR 599 Outboard World Pty Limited v Muir (1993) 51 IR 167 Pastrycooks Employees, Biscuit Makers Employees and Flour and Sugar Workers Union v Gartrell White No.3 (1990) 35 IR 70 Plummer v Stannard Bros Launch Service (2005) 145 IR 111 Rapp v Wauchope RSL Club Ltd (1998) 81 IR 116 Sams v Contact Point International Pty Ltd (2001) NSWIRComm18 Staal and others v WSAHS (2004] NSW IR Comm 27 Trotter v Astrazeneca Pty lTD [2006] NSWIRComm1130 Wang v Crestell Industries Pty Limited (1997) 73 IR 454 Wells v Commissioner of Police (2000) 100 IR 106 Western Suburbs District Ambulance Service v Tipping (1957) AR 273