DISCONNECT: AV Services Ltd director Peter Stobbart believes it was his right to lay off Richard Mills before the end of a 90-day trial period.

A Wellington boss has lost his second employment relations case in weeks after he called an employee a "dick" - and swore at him for not waking him up to prepare for The Hobbit premiere.

AV Services Ltd director Peter Stobbart has to pay his former facilities manager and audio-visual technician Richard Mills more than $18,000 after the Employment Relations Authority ruled his dismissal was unjustified.

This decision comes shortly after Mr Stobbart was ordered to pay $22,000 for wrongful dismissal of his administration manager, Robyn Lloyd, following an angry text exchange that erupted when she left early during the 2011 snowstorm.

In a warning letter to Ms Lloyd, Mr Stobbart said, "You are not my business partner and you most certainly are not my mother".

But the latest case turned the tables, with Mr Mills insisting it was not his job to wake his boss.

Mr Stobbart reported Mr Mills said he "was not my mother and when was I going to get my shit together?"

He believed it was his right to lay off Mr Mills, as he dismissed him before the end of a 90-day trial period in their "gentleman's agreement".

But the authority ruled no written contract existed - despite Mr Mills trying to get one.

The working relationship deteriorated soon after Mr Mills began at the company in July 2012, and "each apportions the cause of the failure to the other", the written decision said.

Matters "came to a head" on October 8, 2012. It was an important day for Mr Stobbart who was due to leave his apartment attached to the company's warehouse at 8am to launch its countdown clock at The Embassy, where The Hobbit premiere would be held the following month.

But after working until 2am the previous night, he slept in.

When he finally woke at 8.40am, he was "disappointed" to find Mr Mills had not woken him, and told him so.

Mr Mills replied saying "shit, it's not my job to wake you up".

He said Mr Stobbart was abusive and told him to "f... off" at least twice.

The next day, Mr Stobbart sent a text to Mr Mills saying, "Check yr email dick". The email said his employment was terminated within the 90-day trial period.

A subsequent text said: "Don't even think about employment court [co-director] has yr wife's number".

Mr Mills did not return to work, and lodged his employment complaint soon after.

Mr Stobbart told the authority he had complained to police about Mr Mills for alleged theft and breaching confidentiality, which Mr Mills "strenuously denies".

There was no proof and authority member Michele Ryan said it appeared Mr Stobbart had tried to "undermine the veracity of Mr Mills' claim against AV Services".

The men had previously discussed Mr Mills entering his boss' apartment and waking him should the need arise. But the matter remained unresolved, with Mr Mills saying he was "uncomfortable" doing so.

Ms Ryan found the dismissal unjustifiable, and ordered Mr Stobbart to reimburse Mr Mills $12,000 in lost wages, $6000 for humiliation, loss of dignity and injury to feelings, and $230.39 for unauthorised wage deductions.

Mr Stobbart said yesterday that installing all the inner-city big screens for The Hobbit premiere was a big contract, and he relied on Mr Mills to do his job, which included ensuring all "human resources" were in the right place at the right time.

It was "bad luck" that the two employment decisions came about at the same time, but there were many "false claims".

"It is soul destroying that people can come in and do this."

He intended to "go about things absolutely to the letter of the law" in future.

Mr Mills, who now runs his own DJ company, said Mr Stobbart was a "hothead" who needed to learn about employment law. But he held no animosity and wished him well.

"But I intend to be doing better."