Mr Riseley resigned from Huntly Joinery after a series of employer actions that he said destroyed the employment relationship. The ERA had to decide whether those breaches were sufficiently serious and causative to turn the resignation into a constructive dismissal.
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Results for constructive dismissal
OCO resigned after being suspended and put through a disciplinary process by ZUA. The case centred on whether the suspension and investigation were fair and whether the employer's cumulative conduct was serious enough to make the resignation a constructive dismissal.
Buci described Ms Jury as casual despite a long pattern of regular shifts. When her hours were cut and the restaurant later insisted she sign a casual agreement before continuing to work, she claimed unjustified disadvantage and constructive dismissal.
Ms Dwyer brought sexual-harassment, unjustified-disadvantage, constructive-dismissal and good-faith claims arising from her work at Oakvue Bloodstock. The ERA separated the alleged harassment and resignation issues from specific employer actions that actually disadvantaged her employment.
Constructive dismissal claims arise when an employee resigns because of sufficiently serious employer conduct. This guide explains the legal tests, evidence to preserve, and why resigning too quickly can weaken a good case.
Courtney Jansen was told by an external HR consultant that BDS Chartered Accountants would end her employment under a 90-day trial, but was offered the option of resigning instead. The case turned on whether choosing resignation in the face of an announced dismissal was truly voluntary.
South Pole maintained that Xinhua Hao had agreed to resign, pressured him to leave, stopped providing meaningful work and refused to engage with him about work matters. The Employment Court upheld the ERA's constructive-dismissal finding.
Employment Services pursued serious-misconduct allegations without adequately identifying them or providing requested information. Its unagreed visit to Frank Resink's home to recover a company vehicle became the last straw in continuing breaches of good faith.
