The claimant was a solicitor partner with the appellant limited liability partnership at their offices in Tanzania. She disclosed what she believed to be money laundering by a local partner. She was dismissed. She had just disclosed her pregnancy and claimed also in sex discrimination. The company appealed findings as to jurisdiction saying that she was not a worker under whistleblowing legislation, and did not work within the jurisdiction for discrimination purposes.
Held: The claimant, as a member, was not a worker within the legislation so as to receive protection under the whistle blowing provisions. Applying the Tiffin case, the test was whether under the 1890 Act in an unlimited partnership, she would have been a partner and therefore not an employee: ‘whatever the employment status of the partners under the 1890 Act, it should not alter as a result of incorporation. Rights should neither be gained nor lost when partners under the 1890 Act are transformed into members of the LLP under the 2000 Act. On any view Section 4(4) makes it plain that Parliament did not intend to change their status as regards the question whether they are employees under limb (a), as Mr Linden accepts. I can see no logical reason why Parliament would have adopted a different position with respect to the question whether they may be limb (b) workers.’
As to the discrimination case, the evidence that the claimant was employed wholly abroad was not entirely one way, and that case should proceed at the tribunal. It was necessary only that the connection with the UK was so strong as to allow the tribunal to conclude that she should come within the protection afforded by Parliament.
Lloyd, Richards, Elias LJJ
[2012] EWCA Civ 1207
Bailii, Gazette
Employment Rights Act 1996 47B 230(3)(b), Equality Act 2010 45, Limited Liability Partnership Act 2000, Partnership Act 1890
England and Wales
Citing:
See Also – Clyde and Co Llp and Another v Winkelhof QBD 22-Mar-2011
The claimant firm of solicitors sought an order requiring the defendant to amend her employment tribunal claim so as to accord with the partnership agreement to which she was party, and to submit to arbitration. The defendant said that statutory . .
See Also – Van Winkelhof v Clyde and Co Llp and Another EAT 26-Apr-2012
EAT JURISDICTIONAL POINTS
Worker, employee or neither
Working outside the jurisdiction
Whether LLP equity member was a limb (b) worker under section 230(3). Allowing Claimant’s appeal, she was. . .
Appeal from – Clyde and Co Llp v Van Winkelhof EAT 26-Apr-2012
EAT JURISDICTIONAL POINTS
Worker, employee or neither
Working outside the jurisdiction
Whether LLP equity member was a limb (b) worker under section 230(3). Allowing Claimant’s appeal, she was. . .
Cited – Ready Mixed Concrete Southeast Ltd v Minister of Pensions and National Insurance QBD 8-Dec-1967
Contracts of service or for services
In three cases appeals were heard against a finding as to whether a worker was entitled to have his employer pay National Insurance contributions on his behalf which would apply if he were an employee. He worked as an ‘owner-driver’
Held: The . .
Cited – Allonby v Accrington and Rossendale College for Education and Employment ECJ 13-Jan-2004
ECJ Principle of equal pay for men and women – Direct effect – Meaning of worker – Self-employed female lecturer undertaking work presumed to be of equal value to that which is undertaken in the same college by . .
Cited – Byrne Brothers (Formwork) Limited v Baird EAT 18-Sep-2001
EAT The Tribunal was asked whether the claimant was a worker within the meaning of the Regulations and so entitled to their protection in receiving holiday pay.
Held: The appropriate classification of a . .
Cited – Deborah Lawrie-Blum v Land Baden-Wuerttemberg ECJ 3-Jul-1986
The Equal Treatment Directive is concerned with ‘workers’ which is a term of art in Community law: ‘That concept must be defined in accordance with objective criteria which distinguish the employment relationship by reference to the rights and . .
Cited – Kurz (ne Yuce) v Land Baden-Wurttemberg ECJ 19-Nov-2002
ECJ EEC-Turkey Association Agreement – Freedom of movement for workers – Article 6(1) of Decision No 1/80 of the Association Council – Scope – Registration as duly belonging to the labour force of a Member State . .
Cited – James v Redcats (Brands) Ltd EAT 21-Feb-2007
EAT National Minimum Wage
Who is a ‘worker’?
Was the Appellant who worked as a courier for the Appellant company, providing her own vehicle, a worker or home worker within the meaning of ss.54(3) and . .
Cited – Jivraj v Hashwani SC 27-Jul-2011
The parties had a joint venture agreement which provided that any dispute was to be referred to an arbitrator from the Ismaili community. The claimant said that this method of appointment became void as a discriminatory provision under the 2003 . .
Cited – Jones v Governing Body of Burdett Coutts School CA 2-Apr-1998
The Employment Appeal Tribunal must give reasons for its decision, if it chooses to allow the amendment of appeal the papers in order to hear a point of law which had been conceded in the industrial tribunal. Citing Liverpool Corporation v Wilson, . .
Cited – Tiffin v Lester Aldridge Llp CA 1-Feb-2012
The claimant had been a partner with the respondent firm. He appealed against the rejection of his claim for unfair dsmissal on the basis that he had not been an employee.
Held: The appeal failed. Had this been an unlimited partnership under . .
Cited – Ellis v Joseph Ellis and Co CA 1905
A member of a partnership formed to work a mine worked in it as foreman. He took weekly wages from the profits. He suffered a fatal accident in the mine and his widow sought compensation under the 1897 Act from the surviving partners. To qualify he . .
Cited – Glennie v Independent Magazines (UK) Limited CA 17-Jun-1999
A party is under a duty to present his entire case at the first hearing in the Employment Tribunal. Where a claimant’s representative had decided to adopt a particular position in law when making representations to the original industrial tribunal, . .
Cited – Zahid v M Young Legal Associates Ltd and others CA 16-May-2006
Is it possible for a person to be a partner in a firm, and thus liable jointly with the other partners to creditors of the firm, even if his agreement with them is not that he should be entitled to participate in its profits but that he should be . .
Cited – Unison v Leicestershire County Council CA 29-Jun-2006
The council had dismissed all workers within a group of employees, and invited them to re-apply for their jobs. The council now appealed a protective award made on the basis that there had been inadequate consultation with the union.
Held: The . .
Cited – Duncombe and Others v Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (No 2) SC 15-Jul-2011
The court considered whether a teacher employed by the Secretary of State to teach in one of its European Schools was entitled to protection against unfair dismissal.
Held: The claimants’ appeals were allowed and the cases remitted to the . .
Cited – Ravat v Halliburton Manufacturing and Services Ltd SC 8-Feb-2012
The respondent was employed by the appellant. He was resident in GB, and was based here, but much work was overseas. At the time of his dismissal he was working in Libya. The company denied that UK law applied. He alleged unfair dismissal.
Cited by:
Cited – UK Mail Ltd v Creasey EAT 26-Sep-2012
EAT JURISDICTIONAL POINTS – Worker, employee or neither
As a matter of construction of the contract, the Claimant was not required to perform work personally since he had an unfettered right to send others, . .
Appeal from – Clyde and Co LLP and Another v van Winkelhof SC 21-May-2014
Solicitor Firm Member was a Protected Worker
The solicitor appellant had been a member of the firm, a limited liability partnership. She disclosed criminal misbehaviour by a partner in a branch in Africa. On dismissal she sought protection as a whistleblower. This was rejected, it being found . .
Cited – Macalinden (T/A Charm Offensive) v Lazarov and Others EAT 17-Oct-2014
macalindenEAT1410
EAT JURISDICTIONAL POINTS – Worker, employees or neither
WORKING TIME REGULATIONS – Worker
NATIONAL MINIMUM WAGE
The Employment Judge did not approach the question of whether the Claimants were . .
Cited – Halawi v WDFG UK Ltd (T/A World Duty Free) CA 28-Oct-2014
The claimant said that she had been discriminated against on the grounds of her religion. She worked as a beauty consultant at the airport, but through a limited company. Her airside pass had been withdrawn. She now appealed against rejection of her . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.
Employment, Discrimination, Company
Updated: 31 October 2021; Ref: scu.464554