The doctor had been summarily dismissed for gross misconduct. He now appealed against the EAT’s reversal of the finding of unfair dismissal. The original procedure adopted was appropriate to a lesser level of misconduct, but the employer had later used the findings to suport the decision to dismiss. Held: The Employment Tribunal had not erred … Continue reading Sarkar v West London Mental Health NHS Trust: CA 19 Mar 2010
EAT Four employees successfully established before the Employment Tribunal that they had been unfairly dismissed for redundancy. The Tribunal found that there had been procedural defects. In particular the assessments in the redundancy exercise had been inadequate and subjective. The Tribunal considered whether the dismissals were fair under section 98A(2) of the Employment Rights Act … Continue reading Software 2000 Ltd v Andrews etc: EAT 17 Jan 2007
The court considered the dismissal by an employer of an employee for a disciplinary offence when he would not have been dismissed but for an earlier warning which had expired. Held: The company’s appeal succeded. The court summarised the balance as follows: ‘On the one hand, if the employer has chosen to impose a time-limited … Continue reading Airbus UK Ltd v MG Webb: CA 7 Feb 2008
The claimant school teacher had been dismissed, after a finding that she had assaulted a pupil. She denied the assualt. Held: The School’s appeal against the decision of the EAT to re-instate the claim of unfair dismissal succeeded. The EAT had wrongly substituted its won veiw of the facts for that of the Tribunal. However … Continue reading Clarence High School and Another v Boardman: CA 15 Mar 2013
The employer appealed against findings of unfair dismissal and disability discrimination. The employee worked in IT. He was profoundly deaf, but could lip read and read sign language. He had been accused of obtaining improper access to a senior staff member’s emails. During the disciplinary hearing, he had been assisted by an interpreter for part … Continue reading Taylor v OCS Group Ltd: CA 31 May 2006
The employees appealed the loss of their case for unfair dismissal. They asserted that the investigation made before the decision to dismiss was made, was inadequate. The EAT was concerned at the apparent weakness of the employer’s investigation, but the real problem was that the tribunal had failed properly to address in its decision the … Continue reading Donnelly, McHarg, Murray v Charnos Plc: EAT 27 Sep 2001
EAT Where employees are dismissed for refusal to sign a new contract containing proposed covenants in restraint of trade, the test is no different from that in respect of dismissal for refusing to sign a fresh contract in any other case, namely that, in respect of the proposed terms said to be unreasonable, it is … Continue reading Willow Oak Developments Ltd T/A Windsor Recruitment v Silverwood and others: EAT 5 Oct 2005
UNFAIR DISMISSAL – Reason for dismissal including substantial other reason UNFAIR DISMISSAL – Contributory fault UNFAIR DISMISSAL – Reasonableness of dismissal UNFAIR DISMISSAL – Procedural fairness/automatically unfair dismissal The Appeal Tribunal allowed the employer’s appeal against the conclusion that the employee had been unfairly dismissed, and remitted the claim to the Employment Tribunal for reconsideration. … Continue reading Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust v Uddin: EAT 11 Dec 2018
Unfair Dismissal – reasonableness of the decision to dismiss – section 98(4) Employment Rights Act 1996 The Claimants had been dismissed for failing to comply with the Respondent’s fire safety policy. Rather than each signing-in and out when they came on, or left, site, Mr Gaskell would sign for both. The Respondent took the view … Continue reading Wilko Retail Ltd v Gaskell and Another: EAT 22 Nov 2018
EAT Unfair Dismissal : Reasonableness of Dismissal – An expired warning can be taken into account as part of the overall circumstances under section 98(4) Employment Rights Act 1996 when the ET is considering whether a dismissal was fair or unfair. The facts of the previous misconduct, the fact that a warning was given and … Continue reading Stratford v Auto Trail VR Ltd: EAT 31 Oct 2016
Unfair dismissal – reasonableness of dismissal by reason of conduct that did not amount to gross misconduct – remitted hearing The ET had originally found the Respondent’s dismissal of the Claimant was unfair. In so doing, it had considered it unfair that, at the appeal stage, the Respondent had purported to aggregate individual acts of … Continue reading Ham v Beardwood Humanities College (Unfair Dismissal: Reasonableness of Dismissal): EAT 23 Oct 2015
EAT VICTIMISATION DISCRIMINATION – Other forms of victimisation UNFAIR DISMISSAL – Reasonableness of dismissal The Respondent dismissed the Claimant, who was subject to a final written warning, ostensibly on the ground that she had taken holiday without permission and in disobedience to instructions from the Respondent’s management. The Employment Tribunal found that conduct was not … Continue reading Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust v Blake (Victimisation Discrimination: Other Forms of Victimisation): EAT 15 Jul 2015
EAT Unfair Dismissal : Reason for Dismissal Including Substantial Other Reason for dismissal including substantial other reason Reasonableness of dismissal Disciplinary process delegated to external HR consultants by this small employer. The reason for dismissal was the set of facts/beliefs in the mind of the consultants, even although the recommendation for dismissal required approval from … Continue reading GM Packaging (UK) Ltd v Haslem: EAT 29 Jan 2014
EAT DISABILITY DISCRIMINATION – DisabilityUNFAIR DISMISSAL – Reasonableness of dismissalA consultant had both private and NHS patients. Whilst certificated sick and receiving sick pay from her NHS employers she worked for her private patients. She was dismissed for doing so, the employer thinking this could be described as fraud. An Employment Tribunal dismissed her claim … Continue reading Brito-Babapulle v Ealing Hospital NHS Trust: EAT 14 Jun 2013
The claimant had been dismissed from his post as chair of archeology after criticism of his marking practices. Though a report vindicated him, the respondent continued with disciplinary procedures. He claimed unfair dismissal. The EAT had allowed the university’s appeal saying that the found repudiatory breach had been remedied before the resignation. The University now … Continue reading Buckland v Bournemouth University Higher Education Corporation: CA 24 Feb 2010
The company made selections for redundancy, but failed to give the appellants information about how the scoring system had resulted in the figures allocated. The calculations left their representative unable to challenge them on appeal. The procedure adopted did not follow the statutory rules, but the tribunal had found the dismissals to be fair. The … Continue reading Alexander and Hatherley v Bridgen Enterprises Ltd: EAT 12 Apr 2006
‘Manifestly Inapproproiate’ is a general Test The Appellant was employed as Senior Project Leader – Technology. The Respondent raised issues about his performance. On 26 January 2016 an informal performance management process commenced and objectives were set, with targets to be measured in June 2016, October 2016 and January 2017. Before those deadlines arrived, his … Continue reading Fallahi v TWI Ltd (Unfair Dismissal): EAT 17 Aug 2021
Burchell case remains good law The appellant head teacher had been dismissed for failing to disclose the fact that her partner had been convicted of a sex offence. She now appealed from rejection of her claim for unfair dismissal. Held: The appeal was dismissed. The tribunal was entitled to conclude that it was a reasonable … Continue reading Reilly v Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council: SC 14 Mar 2018
UNFAIR DISMISSAL – Procedural fairness/automatically unfair dismissal
A fair dismissal compliant with section 98(4) of the Employment Rights Act 1996 requires ‘as much investigation into the matter as was reasonable in all the circumstances of . .
