** Former New Zealand ambulance officer sues over sacking; wins big settlement
NEW ZEALAND NEWS
** A former St. John Ambulance medic is about to be $68,000 richer after winning a wrongful termination suit against his previous employer. That is the word from Stuff.co.NZ (Damian George/Kendall Hutt/June 24) which said James Hilford, who worked relief EMS in Auckland, was handed the judgement by the Employment Relations Authority last week. According to the news site, Hilford’s employer did not properly investigate his claims of bullying that reached back to 2007 and lasted till 2014. It also did not offer him any support to help with the issue. Hilford was forced to take four weeks sick time to deal with the problem and was ultimately sacked. Along with $35,000 for the emotional harm he suffered, the tribunal also awarded him $32,918 in lost wages. A spokesman for St. John said they were reviewing the Authority’s decision. Sue Steen said the organization is re-examining procedures to ensure a positive work environment.
