A failed consultation and a missing board report cost a broadcaster dearly
In a determination issued on 23 February 2026, the Employment Relations Authority ruled that UMA Broadcasting Limited, which operates Radio Waatea, unjustifiably dismissed news editor Adam Gifford after 18 years of service, ordering it to pay more than $43,000 in compensation and lost wages.
The case is a sharp illustration of what happens when a restructure is genuine in intent but deeply flawed in execution.
Gifford had been with the station since 2006. When new general manager Matthew Tukaki moved to merge the station's English and Maori news teams, he emailed all staff on 11 September 2024 advising of his intention to restructure, noting that "any change for employees may include reassignment, partial or full redundancies." Gifford never believed that applied to him. He met with Tukaki, offered ideas about optimising news delivery, and had no indication his specific role was in jeopardy. There were no written records of any of those meetings.
The decision, when it came, came fast. At 3:00pm on 4 October 2024, Tukaki emailed Gifford to say his role would be merged into the existing team. Twenty-five minutes later, Gifford received a formal termination letter. Four minutes after that, an all-staff email announced he was not moving to the new structure.
ERA Member Helen van Druten found that "the presumption that Mr Gifford understood the potential consequences for his position was a misstep by UMA...
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