The manager who sacked investment analyst Guy Hallwright, who was convicted following a road rage incident, says he feels vindicated by an Employment Relations Authority ruling.
Hallwright, a former Forsyth Barr analyst and media spokesman, was convicted last June of causing grievous bodily harm with reckless disregard to Song-jin Kim in Auckland in 2010.
The two became embroiled in a traffic dispute and Hallwright ran over Kim's legs after Kim stumbled in front of his vehicle.
Hallwright was sentenced to 250 hours' community work, disqualified from driving for 18 months and ordered to pay his victim $20,000 reparation.
Forsyth Barr dismissed him but he went to the ERA, seeking his job back.
Forsyth Barr managing director Neil Paviour-Smith said the ERA's decision showed that the company had followed a proper process in a difficult situation.
Hallwright remained employed during the trial - "you're innocent until you are proven guilty" - but as soon as the conviction was entered and the sentence handed down it was clear there would be a "reputational effect" on Forsyth Barr.
"When Guy was charged and as he went through the trial we continued to employ him and didn't commence a disciplinary process because the system in New Zealand is that you're innocent until you're proven guilty.
"There are perhaps approaches that other firms might've taken to say, 'Well, look let's just pay him out, make it all go away and sweep it under the carpet'."
But Paviour-Smith said as soon as the conviction was entered and the sentence was handed down it was clear that it would have a "reputational effect" on Forsyth Barr and negatively affect "in our minds" Hallwright's ability to perform his work.
"The profile of this matter was certainly high and virtually every reference started with 'Forsyth Barr analyst' or 'Forsyth Barr senior person', so that's the inextricable link between the person and what they do."
He dismissed the suggestion that media pressure caused or hurried his decision to fire Hallwright.
Hallwright would not respond to media calls but made an appearance on Michael Laws' RadioLive show yesterday to say he disagreed with his characterisation as a "road rager".
"The road rage was the other guy, I was trying to escape and... he got caught up [under the car] somehow, I still don't know how that happened."
Hallwright said he was not sure whether he would appeal the ERA's decision.
- ? Fairfax NZ News
Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/8391527/Ruling-on-Hallwright-dismissal-welcomed
matt jones whitney houston in casket photo resolute national enquirer whitney houston casket photo jk rowling qnexa kingdom of heaven
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.