Recruiting for judges as employment claims double
Since the Supreme Court ruled that tribunal fees were unlawful in Summer 2017, the subsequent abolishment resulted in a steep hike of employment claims. In fact, claims are at a record high since 2013. Steep hike in employment claims In the first quarter following the abolition the number of employment claim cases doubled, and in […]
Football Managers: How Would They Be Punished in the Office?
As HR Knowledge Manager at HR Solutions, I had the interesting task of helping Viking, suppliers of office equipment, with their recently selected real-life offences from football management. They asked me to compare what might have happened if the offences committed had taken place in an office environment. The pressure cooker of football management can sometimes get […]
Lord Chancellor plans to bring back tribunal fees
The Lord Chancellor has suggested to MPs that employment tribunal fees should be reinstated, in a bid to deter frivolous claims. In July 2017, the Supreme Court ruled that the high level of employment tribunal fees was unlawful. However, speaking to the justice select committee, The Lord Chancellor said that the judgment did not entirely […]
BP alleged to have sacked female employee because ‘women aren’t funny’
An employment tribunal has heard that a BP surveyor lost her job because her sense of humour wasn’t considered a female asset. At the time, Kathryn Buttle was the only female surveyor working in her team in Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey. Ms Buttle was made redundant last year and is now claiming unfair dismissal, public interest disclosure and […]
Man wins tribunal over sacking for Facebook post
A man sacked from his job for sharing a rival butcher’s special offers on Facebook, has been awarded a pay out of £6,091, after winning an employment tribunal against his former bosses. Michael Hayward had worked for Wigan-based butchers Noel Chadwick, for seven and a half years before being fired for recommending a discount […]
Employee sacked after posting comments about employer on Facebook
An employment tribunal has upheld an employer’s decision to sack a long-serving employee over comments she made on Facebook, which were in breach of her employer’s social media policy. The employee, Mrs Plant, had worked for API Microelectronics Limited as a machinery operator for 17 years. She’d had no disciplinary issues during that time. During […]
Employment tribunal awards compensation to ex-BHS employees
Former BHS staff have won significant compensation for their employer’s failure to consult with them. The London tribunal concluded that the company had failed to consult on the employees’ dismissal, and awarded 110 BHS head office staff up to 90 days’ wages each. The company should have followed the correct redundancy process. Despite BHS going […]
Employment tribunal decisions now available online
Members of the public can now view employment tribunal decisions in England, Scotland and Wales on the Government’s website. Before this new service was launched, people could only view employment tribunal decisions if they personally attended the offices in Bury St Edmunds for Welsh and English decisions, or Glasgow for Scottish decisions. Decisions available to […]
MP accuses government of hiding tribunal fees report
The government faces accusations of hiding a report that reveals employment tribunal fees affect women and ethnic minorities the most. Figures show a 70% drop in cases, including a 50% fall in race discrimination cases since the introduction of fees in 2013. Dawn Butler, shadow minister for diverse communities, claims people can no longer access […]
Huge drop in unfair dismissal cases after tribunal fees introduced
The number of people taking their employers to tribunals has fallen by 73% since tribunal fees of £1,200 were brought in. A study by the TUC has found that discrimination cases on the grounds of gender have dropped by 71%, race by 58% and disability by 54%, since the new charges were introduced. The TUC […]
Starbucks Loses Workplace Dyslexia Case
A dyslexic employee has won an Employment Tribunal against coffee retail chain Starbucks. Meseret Kumulchew, a barista at a Starbucks in Clapham, London, suffered discrimination in her role after she was wrongly accused of falsifying documents. Ms Kumulchew made mistakes in her role due to her difficulties with reading and writing. Yet instead of making […]
Voluntary Redundancy: Don’t Consider Age a Factor, Rules EAT
Taking age-related benefits into account during redundancy selections can be discrimination, the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) has ruled. The case of Donkor v Royal Bank of Scotland concerned an employee who was not allowed to apply for voluntary redundancy on the grounds of his age. As the claimant was over 50 at the time […]
Monitoring Private Emails at Work: What You Need to Know
The European Court has reaffirmed that employers can read private emails and chat messages sent by employees. The ruling has caused a media panic that employers can now ‘snoop’ on their employees, although this is far from the case. Furthermore, given previous UK Employment Tribunals, very little has actually changed. Regardless, with the case generating […]
Employment tribunal claimants never receive compensation
A third of people who win employment tribunals do not see the money awarded and less than half are paid in full. When people win their case at an employment tribunal, they naturally expect to receive the compensation that has been awarded to them. But Government figures show that thousands of workers who have won […]
Is Dismissal for Persistent Lateness Fair?
Can you dismiss an employee for persistent lateness? You can as long as you show that you followed procedure, ruled the Employment Tribunal. The case of Ghartey v Royal Museums Greenwich recently asked the Employment Tribunal to resolve this question after Mr Ghartey, a former visitor assistant at the museum, was dismissed from his role […]
Nicknames and Discrimination in the Workplace
An Employment Tribunal has awarded more than £63,000 to a salesperson nicknamed “Gramps” by his colleagues. The Tribunal found that Mr Dove suffered discrimination in the workplace and was ultimately dismissed because of his age. Mr Dove was a long-serving salesperson for a jewellery manufacturer before his dismissal at age 60. The Head of Sales […]
Father denied full pay during shared parental leave
A father in Glasgow is celebrating a £30,000 tribunal win for sex discrimination, after his employer would only pay him statutory pay during shared parental leave, although mothers receive full pay. The employment tribunal heard that the Network Rail employee David Snell and his wife, wanted to take advantage of the opportunity of shared parental […]
Court of Appeal Rules to Keep Employment Tribunal Fees
The Court of Appeal has dismissed a third bid by Unison to overturn the introduction of Employment Tribunal fees. The Court dismissed the union’s case for a judicial review of the fees on the grounds of insufficient evidence. Employment Tribunal fees have been the subject of controversy since their introduction in July 2013. The sharp decline in […]
Proposed TUPE Changes
In response to consultation on the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 (TUPE) the changes that are due in January 2014 are to make sure both employers and employees are treated fairly when a transfer takes place. The driving force behind the planned change is to help smaller firms that have been put […]
Former Chelsea Doctor Claims for Constructive Dismissal
Former Chelsea first team doctor Eva Carneiro has lodged a claim of constructive dismissal against her former employer. Chelsea’s Premiere League defence started with a 2-2 draw against Swansea on the 8th August. Towards the closing stages of the game and with the scores already level Eden Hazard received an injury. After being motioned on to […]