Helicopter pilot awarded NOK 8.6 million

Mil Mi-8 helicopter pilotIllustration.Mil Mi-8 helicopter. Photo: wikipedia.org

Helicopter pilot awarded 8.6 million in compensation after unlawful dismissal

A helicopter pilot is in the court of appeal awarded NOK 8.6 million in compensation and costs because he wrongfully was deprived of his job. His former employer is considering to appeal the case.

 

The company where the man worked was in Borgarting’s court of appeal sentenced to pay NOK 7 million in compensation and NOK 1.6 million in costs.

The man lost his job after an event in a course context. Several reacted according to the verdict on the pilot’s alcohol consumption after a dinner. Following the course, the pilot had to enter into an AKAN agreement with the employer, which is an agreement for employees who are having or are in danger of having a problem related to  alcohol or other substance abuse.

Lost his job

Later he lost his job as a result of the incident. Two other employees were also warned following the dinner.

The verdict states that the incident at the course is poorly documented and that the process of investigating the mans relationship to alcohol was not satisfactorily documented.

The court emphasizes that there are strict requirements for dismissing an employee and that these requirements were not fulfilled in this case, even though the man’s conduct was criticized by the members of the court.

– We think this is a wrong decision, and we notice that two out of five judges, both of the professional judges, voted against the verdict. We will now look carefully through the verdict and decide on a possible appeal, says the lawyer representing the company who dismissed the pilot, Sigurd-Øyvind Kambestad, to TV 2.

The channel has been in contact with the lawyer representing the pilot, who does not wish to comment on the verdict at present.

 

© NTB Scanpix / Norway Today