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Results for ERA
![Yifu Jiang v Smartrade Limited [2026] NZERA 56 - fixed-term clause held unlawful; unjustified dismissal; $15,600 lost wages and $12,000 compensation](/Images/site/EmploymentAdvocatesAucklandCard.jpg)
Smartrade treated Yifu Jiang's employment as ending under a one-year fixed-term clause, but the agreement did not record genuine reasons satisfying s 66. Mr Jiang was also given no meaningful chance to comment before the employer ended the relationship.
Lillian Shorter was summarily dismissed by Waiheke Island Supported Homes Trust after covert video showed her sleeping during night shifts. She said night workers had a recognised practice of sleeping during combined breaks and challenged both the investigation and the unequal treatment of staff.
Senior Sergeant Jasmine Woollett challenged decisions surrounding her Fiji deployment, including her recall and the process Police used after her working relationship with a deployment manager deteriorated. Her claim was for unjustified disadvantage rather than dismissal.
Store manager Andrea Lawson challenged Luxottica's investigation and employment treatment after concerns were raised about store performance and policy compliance. Her case included disadvantage claims, dismissal allegations and an argument that the employer had failed to accommodate a medical condition.
Mt Outdoors terminated seasonal retail worker Cameron Roweth's fixed-term role early when winter trading was weaker than expected. The business had a genuine need to reduce labour costs, but selected him for redundancy without consulting him about the selection decision.
Cook Mark Beveridge was told to 'bugger off' and leave the Ashurst Deer N Duck Inn during a confrontation connected with police concerns about marijuana plants on the owner's property. The employer disputed whether those words had actually ended the employment.
Fuyu Zhuo was summarily dismissed and trespassed from a hospitality business after allegations that he had taken cash from the till. The employer's case also included a fidelity claim, while Mr Zhuo challenged the lack of a fair investigation and sought wage and holiday entitlements.
Julie Curtis had a regular 20-hour week with Affordable UK Caravans when the employer told her there was no work until mid-January and refused to pay her contracted hours. She treated the prolonged exclusion from paid work as a serious breach and resigned.
