Meat worker didn’t work

A former meatworks employee has failed in his second attempt to turn a crook back into a payout from his former employer.

Employment Relations Authority chief James Crichton has ruled there are no grounds to reopen an investigation into Chase Beales’ complaint against Ovation New Zealand.

Beales first took Ovation to the Employment Relations Authority in 2017, claiming he had been unjustifiably dismissed after injuring his back while lifting a carcass at the firm’s Feilding works in 2014.

He did not file an incident report and failed to hand Ovation a medical certificate, but agreed to a rehabilitation plan.

He went back to work on light duties, but had significant time off due to ongoing pain.

He failed to return to work when his medical certificate expired and was told he had to take part in rehab if he wanted compensation payments – something he alleged was bullying.

Beales eventually stopped taking part in his return-to-work programme, then stopped reporting for work.

The situation came to a head when Ovation told him he would be paid compensation, but only if he did jobs he was capable of doing at the works.

He interpreted that as being fired and as an unjustifiable dismissal, but the authority agreed with Ovation’s side – that he failed to turn up for work.

He filed another claim, trying to get the case reopened.

According to Crichton’s decision, Beales would have had to prove there was either a substantial risk of a miscarriage of justice, and that there were special circumstances, such as fresh evidence.