The Employment Relations Authority has upheld a decision to dismiss an employee for failure to attend alcohol rehabilitation counselling.

Failing employment relationships may not always go out with a big bang. In some cases, a dysfunctional employment relationship may present itself simply by a host of small events which overall undermine the employment relationship.

It is human nature to keep secrets, but in the context of employment, to do so can prove harmful to both employer and employee. William Hart learnt this truth after being dismissed seven weeks into his employment with Printlounge Ltd for neglecting to disclose a string of past criminal convictions including the murder of a woman.

The ground has shifted significantly due to recent decisions of the courts dealing with redundancy situations. The very recent Court of Appeal decision in Grace Team Accounting Limited v Brake confirmed a number of changes which employers specifically need to be aware of, particularly the legal test regarding justification for dismissal in a redundancy situation.