Pak’nSave Hamilton’s deli manager and former NW Rototuna employee, Mary-Anne Graham, was fired for changing the use-by dates on chickens, instructing a staff member to cook them anyway. The employee talked about it with a colleague, who reported the incident to the store duty manager. Luckily, the chickens never made it onto the shelves.
According to the allegations, she also told staff to put expired cheese onto pizza.
The company held a disciplinary meeting in her absence and sent her a dismissal letter, while Graham, allegedly ‘distraught over the allegations’, was off on sick leave because of the ‘stress she was under’.
Despite admitting to all charges, Graham received almost $10,000 in lost wages and compensation for not being offered an adequate opportunity to defend herself by Pak’nSave owner Gladstone Retail Limited.
