Arnold v Hamilton Island Enterprises Pty Ltd [1995] QIRC 200 (1995) 149 QGIG 714

7 14 Q UE E NS LA D GOVERNMEN T INDUS T RI AL GAZETTE l30 June, 1995 Ji##/iffli/l#llll##ll##llll/l#ll##li#ll/l#li /i #ll##ll/lflllll#ll/i##lillll#ll lllill/1/111# QLI 1.,s1 A D IKDl '\ IRI \I Rl: LA 110'\', CO M~ll\',10:--. {,rclustriul Uelatt0m , let I 990 , 295 - application for rein statement OaIT) Ronald Arnold I fomilton bla11J lntcrpnsc, f't) l.td ( \ ·o IJ II 6(1 of I Y9.J I COMM ISSIONER FD W /\R l>S 16Jun.:l99~ I cnnrn ation ol 1 mplo}menl 1Jisn11~,:.i l - ReirN,1temcnt - Viciirn i,ut io ll _ Capab le a 11 d fapcr ic:n ccJ I r-ad-: s pc r,0 11 . Unah lc to rncct l)c,idlinc, - L, iJencc \Vitnessc~ Fon n~1 1 \.\ am'.ngs PmccJurJI t- aim\..._, - ("ompail) LornphcJ \\Ith f'ron, 1011, of ,\et Di,1111-,al l"dir Application Rdu:,.:d. IW("IS ION II~ Jppf!l,allon fil...-d on 18 October 1911 I l\lr 13 R \muld , o ught relict '"th in thc pr~" i,iorb of the lndllttrtct l Hela11 ofl.\ • kl 199/J. i\lr Arnn Id ", ernplO) rncnt .is a Carpen1cr rn 1hc \foirn~_nanle lkp.irtm..:nt al ll amrltun lslJnd I nterpmc, l't) I td hecarnc c_llcc11, e un 9 Ma} 1994 "ith conditions of employment con tamed rn corrc<pomiencc dJted 18 April 199 -1 . In c:vidence. :--lr Arnold .,d, i:.cd he holds Quc.:n~land Building Scn_,c_c, ,\uthoru~ ccrtilicatcs rn the cla~srfica11on ol Wall and l-loor I 1hnl:(. <.arpentr~ and Joinery IO!!Ctl11.:r "ith Building l{o.:111), a1io11s. Reparrs and l\laintcnJnc.:. I le ,,a~ disrnis~cd on 27 <;cptcmbc r I 9'M lnlliJlh 1\lr Amold '"•' repre~cnte<l b) l'\1r S. Bell of Grc,ell and Virgo. Solici tor:-. ,\ t the lu~I da~ o f hearing_ Mr ArnnlJ represc:nted hirns..:11. I here i, 1111 douht that ~1r , \mold \\,I\ rnp.iblc anJ c,peric:nc.:d e,pcci,ill) a~ u lim,hrng 1rnd c;,pcrson \\ rth the !ap,c ot time and a l\ cr a num ber or im:idcnts he forme d lhe , ·1c,, thal he \\tt, J h "' I ·' M 11 1011ce ~trn a••cr Thcs.: , ictim1 ,cd h} Mr o n " c" Jnu. , a 11 er ,,. inodcnts and c,cnt, could he classified ;i:, failure h' meet dc,1dhncs: 155 11_1.DOC 30 June, 19951 QU EENSLA ro GOVER ME 'T I, D US T RI AL GAZETTE 715 compan) dccismn for renc,, a 11011, to he earned out h> ~1.lintcn.u1ce Departrncnt: compan) tra~d and u,c of,chicl.:s. super- 1~1011 of \\ork : COIICICIC olo cJ- rclllU\ ,11: method of worl- • 11hng. fl ci-1h1ht) of approach tn 111c1hod o r' \\Ori.: u,c of' personal tools to a~,1,1 lcllo,, ,,orkcr- jnd compan). cormnunicat1on '"'h ,open isor and manager-.. i11qul'it1,c approach: leave: uml i~land pn, ate \\Or!.. .irrang.:mcnh \\h1ls1 no t referring rn Jc1<1i l in t hb dec ision tu ..:ach or the ab, wc 1ncnt io11~d the Cornr111 ,~11,n has gi,c 11 d..: 1ailcd cu11sidcnnio 11 Lo a ll the c, ide11 cc. c,hihi1$ and ,ut>missions I h..:rc" no douht 1ha1 \lr \rnold \\' ,h rnc1hodrcal and ,1' ,lH.:h hi, ap1>roach crea ted in cident:- whcrchy th e np1i rnum u,c of li me. equipm ent amJ re\ourcc;, \\ll'- q ucs 1i o 11cd whe n cons idered 11 ithi n l>uJget constrarnt,.. In s up port the Comrn1s,ion was ad, r)cd th,11 ~lr \mold 111de:1.ed and orgam~cd the ti le: ~tore ,,hich rc~uhcd in qu rte , 111 effccti\t: and cflicien1 S)~lcm. In evidence. Mr IJe \\ aard. Conc..:ssionairc supported the view th,u Mr Amold "a' a hi ghly regarded and 111c1hodical 1rndc,pcrson but unable to meet completion urnctablt:s. from !\lr De Waard· s per.;onal experience \lr Arnold did 1101 complete work ,,11hin the trrncspan much to the di,appoi nuncnt ol Mr De Wallrd. Mr De Waard ind1ca1cd there ,ccmed to be a compelling rea,1111 gi\'cn h} t,.lr Amold a~ 10 "h) he could not complete t he "nr'- ,rt the Oe \\'.rard home ,,it1 11n the tune frame . In man} ''d~, crnplo)'-'\:' of l ldmrlwn bland I merpri,cs arc q uue rrghtl} e-'rected 10 adopt a ncxihlc approach 10 the I) pc of \\or~ on ,,hich they arc engaged. The co 11~1rain1s hc1 11 g \\ithin 1hc uut) of can; urrd rc~porr,ihilit) co111hi11cd with a pcr.;on ·~ ,Jpahrli lles. tra1nrng and krll"' ledge. h ,uch. i\lr 'le\\ land 111 rcco~ n•~ing th,: p<1\ill\ c annoute, of Mr \mold rn, ned a,,i~tanc..: "11h the rcnlJ\atiun of stall a,·comin11da1ion. It wa1, during th1~ pcrwd tha t Mr i\nw ld fo rmed the vie,, II HII it \\\Htld bt.: mrnc ..:lfk11.:111 for thc ,,or!- to oc undL" rtakcn on a contrJCI ha~i~. ll c approacht-d mailJl!cmcot and \\its rc quc,tcd 10 ,llhmu a dcta kd 4uutot1nn . .\1 r , \m old pn:p,m:J documcntatron and ~uhm1t1ed such to the co 11 1p an) 'I he rev ie w rncth,ld and procedure fol lcH , cd by 1n,IIH11?erncn1 wa, ,uh_1cct tu lc11g1hy argument and c\l11n111a1i11n of '"'""'~ c, Su Ix· 11. the uu1cu111l· 1,.1.., that 1h..: comp:m~ rc1ec1cd 1he pro11<,~.1l for a C<l11 trac1 and rn "1 doing. rc_1cct\.'d \lr Am<lld", tender. \ cornme rc1a l cfce1\inn \la , made that the Maintcnan c:e Department " "uld un<.knJl-c the 11ork \\llh c\lsu ng ~tall l.:,cb . It "a!> follmrn1g this dcc"mn that Mr , \mo le! ht:gan to fom, the , re\\ 1ha1 h..: ,, as bdng \'ic11m1scd b} Mr c,,land. I he problem rn 4 ue , 1io11 is \\hcthcr it was in fact vic111111~a11011 or \lr Nc,dar1<f~ managerial poh c~ and prnccdurc, I ha,~ already indicated that 1'1r ·\mClld wa, a pc1,11n who 1,a, qurlc km.>1,lccf gcal>le and capahle in Iii, particulur field or npert i,e. t\ccord111gl~. 1m1ancc, arose ,,hcrch) decision, had lo ht: 111,,dc on the mo,t c,ht effccti, c "a) vf p..:r lnnnmg the ,,or!-. ,\, an e,Jmple. for ,t trkr ii r, rrnfl('nan1 10 111,1intJ111 a high ~,.111ddrd \\hieh could onl~ oc achreH:d h) la~ mg ,h1:ctrng o n ,1 \\OOden floor 1<1 cn,u r.: a snwo 1h ba,c lo llcn,ed h~ 1h e 1,.1\ in g of' the ulc,. In coM ing \\Ork. rn.rnagcrnerrt hd,c a •..: ,ron"liilit~ 10 ad1ie,c compktrl•ll ,1ith111 jJl acccp1ahfc 11n1ctrame anJ ,1andMd ,if fim,h \\hich ,011-;lics the 11,,ncrs and 1.nrnphcs ,,11h the dut) of care and rck, u nt safet) foC'to rs witl1111 the hudgct lra111c,1ur l- . The ev id ence or Mr Amold inchcatcs lhal from a !rad.: 0<1 1111 o r , IC\\ he \\as nN prcp.trcd 10 ac1.cp1 ~uch 1.rrtcrra e, en th·1ugh manasement ma~ hd,c been co11hrn1 with a lc~s c,pensl\e bllt co:,meuc ou tcome. Other rswc, included his de'1rc 10 la) the trlt.: .\ in a mctrculous ma n ner 111th~r 1ha11 ad opt~ more llcxiolc \\dy . I he Commissron "as also in formed in c, idcncc that instances arose \\he rC h) other c111plo)ees e:1.prc,,,.:d concem that Mr .l\mold qurte often told other ernplo)ccs of tire corre ct method of 1,ork A~ ~uch he \\ .1, known to ,pcnd C:\CC~~I\ c amount~ of trme in d1":u~sinn5 un mancr, o flinlc rckvancc lo the \\Ork in prngrcs, . I\\ management continued to be concerned a fom1.1I ,,am111g \\ ,1' i,:;ucd ( hhi hrt 81 on 22 Augus1 1994 fhr~ file note mdicate, the nature of the d1scu"ron together 1, ith the rea ons for 1hl. \\~•min g.. U) lcucr uf' 9 Scpternb..:r 1994 a further 1,:m1ing ,,as i,,ucd ,\, there "J, no irnprm ernem i\1r J\mo ld "as ,u,p,:rded from dt1 l) to enable hirn to rc,pond to the concerns of t11anag..:rncm. l \, ll c,wrng an c~lcmion o f the ~rr,pcnsion tngethcr \\i th l1prnrtunr t11.:s for \1r Arnold to communica1c <111 the grrc, .,nee, raised management dccrded that d rs mr,,.il was approprrate On cons iderot ro n of a ll thc i,sues rai8cd in cvick ncc 1ogc1hcr "1th the mcch.i11"m lolhl\\ ctl In ensure prm:cdural faimc~ ~- 1h,· Cornrni-s1on i~ ,Ju,ficd tha1 the compan} complied \\Ith the pro\l,ron;; of the lnc/11str10/ Hd<lttons .-let /990. In 1hr, regard the comp.my acted "11h tolerance and concern li,r Mr Arnold. I hi\ ing dccrdcd that di~rni,)al "a~ forr and procedural fa1me,, ,,a, e,tt:nded 1he Comm,~srun ,~ com p,:llcd to make rekrencc: to the action~ of Mr Amukl ,,hil st he ,,as rcprcsentrng h1111scll \Vhil~1 the Com111i,sron recognises 1h.it Mr Arnold ha., the right lo r..:prc,entation: the Iact that he d1osc l<• rcrrc,cnl hirnsdf on the laM d,l} m no ,1 ·a} drsad\';m tagcd hi, ~11ua 1i on \\'hrbt 1hc l11Ju .1 1rial Uda11om ,let 199/J is a mcch,mrsm h) \\ hid1 a person "lw has been d r,rnrc;sed 111,1) ,cck a rcrned) through the Cnmrnis,iorr rt 1, not an a, cnuc whcn:h} a per,on ma} use the Tnhrrno l for ,c l lish :rnd personnl ,e lf grati fka1ion . I he qm:,11011\ i\lr Arnold a,1-cd or a11ernp1cd to l!,~ lr ,c ,, land durrni; c,ammJIIOn \\en: lcJd 111g and -,curnlou, and complct.:I~ ouLsidc the frmne ,,ork and <•bjcc ts or the /11d11.11rial /frlat11m s Act 1990 . I lis qu..:~1io11s we re clear ly intended 10 sa ti, I) 111, ,elf ish m,111, ntron of rct:ordrng (lr Jllempting 10 record on 1ra11,cript an} mrnour, or rnrruendn~ "hrch \\c>uld intcrfcn: "ith the ~h,lit) 01 nwnJgernent l t1 e llc c11~c ly manage and ,upcn •~c ,1afl . I urthcn11ore. rcli.:i1.: 11 <;c to the private rna 11 .:rs co ul d h a,e ~c rious and de trimental clli:~t, nn hi ;; "ml.mate s. ,upcr, i,o rs. 111.11,agcmcnt and O\\n1;rs c>I the re,ort and ,,ere or the nature 1ha1 1h r, ( ummi,,,,,n coulJ 1101 wn-ider 111 mJ l..111i: .i dctem1i11.i11011 on 1he Jpphcation. I hc appi ira11011 1, rcfu,..:d. I <>rder ,1ccorJingl~ . . I/I/Jt' Ora11c rs • \l r \ . Beil ((;rc,cll and \' rrgu) .111<.l lat.::r ~lr ll R ,\mold un his own hchall \ lr I{ llr~e.: for und vn behalf ,,f llarn ilwn bland l· nterprbc, Pt~ I td Oper,111\'e Dill<.: . ~ /,\ Deci~in 11 - Rein ~t,1tcmc111 Rclcd~ed: 16 June 1'1 95 l~-\I I I IXX.. -- 1 of 1 --