Auckland tradesman is fired for flirting with a customer

Shirtless tradie is fired for FLIRTING with a customer after the woman’s jealous husband complained about him chatting to her about a croissant

  • A tradesman was wrongly fired after allegedly flirting with a customer 
  • Samuel Newman was dismissed after the woman’s husband complained
  • The Employment Relations Authority (ERA) found he was wrongly fired
  • The ERA compensated Mr Newman with $22,875 for ‘injury to feelings’ 
  • Do you know the tradie or the couple? Email tips@dailymail.com

A tradesman has been fired after a woman’s husband complained about him chatting to his wife while not wearing a shirt.

Topless roofing technician Samuel Newman was accused of flirting with the woman after she invited him into her house and offered him a drink and a ham and cheese croissant.

Mr Newman, who was an assistant roofing technician at Solid Roofing in Auckland, was dismissed from his job after the woman’s husband complained about his behaviour. 

 A roofing tradesman was wrongly fired after allegedly flirting with a customer when she offered him a ham and cheese croissant (stock) 

Mr Newman claimed he tried to reject the woman’s advances and said he only had a glass of water.

He explained both he and his supervisor had their shirts off for a short period of time because it was hot. 

Solid Roofing director Peter Vandenberg also said the customer complained about the quality of work done at the Cockle Bay house, citing the ‘unevenness of the paint on the roof’ and that the roof was ‘too thin’, Stuff reported. 

Mr Vandenberg gave Mr Newman a written warning for ‘serious misconduct’. Mr Newman was later fired. 

The Employment Relations Authority (ERA) investigated the incident and found that the written warning and dismissal were unjustified.

Authority member Anna Fitzgibbon said the husband was merely annoyed by the attention his wife gave to Mr Newman.

‘Vandenberg said he had received a ‘serious complaint’ from the customer’s wife about Mr Newman’s flirtatious behaviour. He had not. Rather, the customer’s husband was annoyed by the attention his wife was paying to Mr Newman and Mr Cameron working with their shirts off,’ Ms Fitzgibbon said. 

The ERA compensated Mr Newman with $22,875 for ‘injury to feelings and unjustified dismissal’. 

 

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