The plaintiff lived in Lincolnshire, but owned a house in Gwynnedd. She sought to serve a notice in her local County Court, appealing from an order for its demolition, but the manager of that Court refused to accept it saying that it should have been filed in Gwynnedd. The regulations said it was to be … Continue reading Gwynedd County Council v Grunshaw: CA 22 Jul 1999
Mrs. Nessa arrived at Heathrow aged 55 having lived all her life in Bangladesh. Her husband, Mr. Mobarak Ali, had lived in the United Kingdom from 1962 until he died in 1975 and when she arrived here, Mrs. Nessa had a right of abode. She hoped to live with her husband’s brother. Her three children, … Continue reading Nessa v Chief Adjudication Officer: HL 3 Nov 1999
The working time provisions now impose contractual obligations on employers. An employee, working hours over the limit, was entitled to cease work until such time as he was brought back within the maximum working hours. There could be no obligation to opt out. Citations: Times 08-Mar-1999, Gazette 06-May-1999 Statutes: Working Time Regulations 1998 (1998 No … Continue reading Barber and Others v RJB Mining Uk Ltd: QBD 8 Mar 1999
The Working Time Directive has direct application in the employment by an emanation of the state – a local authority, and an hourly paid part timer was entitled to four weeks paid holiday by the direct effect application of the Directive, and irrespective of any ambiguity or deficit in the implementing regulations. Times 12-Feb-1999, Gazette … Continue reading Gibson v East Riding of Yorkshire District Council: EAT 3 Feb 1999
Awards made by an industrial tribunal for unfair dismissal are equivalent to pay for equal pay purposes. A system which produced a differential effect between sexes was not indirect discrimination unless the difference in treatment between men and women was substantial. Times 25-Feb-1999, C-167/97, [1999] IRLR 253, [1999] ICR 447, [1999] ECR I-623, [1999] EUECJ … Continue reading Seymour-Smith and Perez; Regina v Secretary of State for Employment, Ex Parte Seymour-Smith and Another: ECJ 9 Feb 1999
EAT Working Time Regulations – TRADE UNION RIGHTS – Action short of dismissal Working Time Regulations 1998 (‘WTR’) Regulation 2(1)(a) and (c) – ‘working time’ Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 section 146 – detriment The Employment Tribunal having dismissed the Claimants’ claims of breach of the WTR and of detriment, the following … Continue reading Edwards and Another v Encirc Ltd (Working Time Regulations): EAT 23 Feb 2015
EAT WORKING TIME REGULATIONS NATIONAL MINIMUM WAGE A care worker in a residential home who was provided with accommodation so that she could discharge her duty to be on call for the residents 11 hours a night, 7 nights a week, was entitled to treat those hours as working time for the purposes of the … Continue reading Hughes v Jones and Another: EAT 3 Oct 2008
1267 – 1278 – 1285 – 1297 – 1361 – 1449 – 1491 – 1533 – 1677 – 1688 – 1689 – 1700 – 1706 – 1710 – 1730 – 1737 – 1738 – 1751 – 1774 – 1792 – 1793 – 1804 – 1814 – 1819 – 1824 – 1828 – 1831 – 1832 … Continue reading Acts
EAT JURISDICTIONAL POINTS – Working outside the jurisdiction WORKING TIME REGULATIONS – Holiday pay The approach to determining whether an employee of British company who works and lives abroad falls within the territorial scope of the Employment Rights Act 1996 section 94(1) has been developed since Lawson v Serco Ltd [2006] ICR 250. The question … Continue reading Dhunna v Creditsights Ltd: EAT 3 Apr 2013
The claimant sought to enforce a judgment debt against a foreign resident company, and for this purpose to examine or have examined a director who lived abroad. The defendant said that the rules gave no such power and they did, the power was outside the rule-maker’s power. Held: Even though the rule-making power is wide … Continue reading Masri v Consolidated Contractors International Co Sal and Others: HL 30 Jul 2009
EAT WORKING TIME REGULATIONS NATIONAL MINIMUM WAGE National Minimum Wage. Sheltered Housing Residential Wardens provided with ‘tied accommodation’ rent and council tax free. Contracts provided for salaried hours work of 36 hours per week. In addition, required to be ‘on call’ at tied houses outwith normal working hours on four nights during the working week. … Continue reading City of Edinburgh Council v Lauder and Others: EAT 20 Mar 2012
Part time retained firefighters claimed discrimination under the Regulations when their conditions of service were compared with those of full-time firefighters. They appealed a finding that they had been employed under different types of contract and that therefore no claim arose. Held: There was insufficient reason to treat the retained firefighters as being employed under … Continue reading Matthews and others v Kent and Medway Towns Fire Authority and others: CA 2 Jul 2004
EAT National Minimum Wage Judges: His Hon Judge Birtles Citations: EAT/1097/02, [2003] EAT 1097 – 02 – 0306, [2003] UKEAT 1097 – 02 – 0306 Links: Bailii, Bailii, EAT Statutes: National Minimum Wage Regulations 1999& Jurisdiction: England and Wales Cited by: Reconsidered – MacCartney v Oversley House Management EAT 31-Jan-2006 EAT The Tribunal erred in … Continue reading South Holland District Council v Stamp and 13 others: EAT 14 Apr 2003
The claimant appealed the refusal of her claim for a finding that her dismissal was automatically unfair. She had been employed for less than a year, and had taken several absences to care for her child. She claimed protection saying that her absences had been ‘dependants leave’. Held: When considering such a claim, the tribunal … Continue reading Qua v John Ford Morrison (Solicitors): EAT 14 Jan 2003
What hours does a sleep in care worker have to be paid for. Held: Sleepers-in are to be characterised for the purpose of the Regulations as available for work, within the meaning of regulation 15 (1)/32, rather than actually working, within the meaning of regulation 3/30, and so fall within the terms of the sleep-in … Continue reading Royal Mencap Society v Tomlinson-Blake: CA 13 Jul 2018
The applicants complained that as an unmarried couple they had been excluded from consideration as adopters. Held: Northern Ireland legislation had not moved in the same way as it had for other jurisdictions within the UK. The greater commitment to traditional family structures did not however justify the difference. The rules were unlawful discrimination.Lord Hoffmann … Continue reading In re P and Others, (Adoption: Unmarried couple) (Northern Ireland); In re G: HL 18 Jun 2008
EAT NATIONAL MINIMUM WAGE Temporary pub manager required to sleep on premises – Claim that hours in question should be taken into account in assessing whether she had been paid the national minimum wage – Tribunal, approaching the issue by reference to the definition of ‘working time’ in Working Time Regulations 1998, held that they … Continue reading Wray v JW Lees and Co (Brewers) Ltd: EAT 14 Jul 2011
The court was asked as to the compatibility of provisions in the 1978 Act with the human rights of the appellant. The claimants, Moroccan nationals were employed as domestic staff in embassies in London. They alleged both race discrimination and breach of the 1998 Regulations, saying that the statutory exemption of the Embassies from liability … Continue reading Benkharbouche v Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs: SC 18 Oct 2017
The claimants were airline pilots employed by the respondent company with headquarters in Hong Kong. The court was asked whether an English Tribunal had jurisdiction to hear their complaints of unfair dismissal. Held: The pilots were employed in England so as to allow a claim for unfair dismissal here. Judges: Lord Phillips Of Worth Matravers, … Continue reading Crofts and others v Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd and others: CA 19 May 2005
ECJ An occupational pension scheme which, although established in accordance with statutory provisions, is based on an agreement between the employer and employee representatives constitutes an integral part of the contract of employ- ment and has the effect of supplementing the social benefits paid under national legislation of general application with benefits financed entirely by … Continue reading Bilka-Kaufhaus v Webers Von Hartz: ECJ 13 May 1986
Uber drivers are workers The claimant Uber drivers sought the status of workers, allowing them to claim the associated statutory employment benefits. The company now appealed from a finding that they were workers. Held: The appeal failed (Underhill LJ dissenting) The drivers accepted the control of tee Uber app: ‘Even if drivers are not obliged … Continue reading Uber Bv and Others v Aslam and Others: CA 19 Dec 2018
The parties disputed whether Mr Smith had been an employee of or worker with the company so as to bring associated rights into play. The contract required the worker to provide an alternate worker to cover if necessary. Held: The company’s appeal failed. Mr Smith was a worker: ‘there were features of the contract which … Continue reading Pimlico Plumbers Ltd and Another v Smith: SC 13 Jun 2018
The claimant had been abused as a child by foster parents with whom she had been placed by the respondent authority. The court was now asked, the Council not having been negligent, were they in any event liable having a non-delegable duty of care with accompanying vicarious liability? Held: The appeal succeeded (Lord Hughes dissenting). … Continue reading Armes v Nottinghamshire County Council: SC 18 Oct 2017
EAT WORKING TIME REGULATIONS: Worker / Holiday PayMr Victor Jozsa (‘the claimant’) entered into a written agreement dated 1 January 2006 with Premier Groundworks Ltd (‘the respondent’) to provide groundwork services. By Clause 13 of the agreement it was provided that:-‘[the claimant] shall have the right to delegate performance of [ground works] services under this … Continue reading Premier Groundworks Ltd v Jozsa: EAT 17 Mar 2009
EAT PART TIME WORKERSA police officer was found by the Tribunal to be significantly disadvantaged compared with his peers when carrying out examinations for promotion. Nonetheless, the Tribunal held that he was not disabled within the meaning of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 because that was not a normal day-to-day activity. In so far as … Continue reading Paterson v Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis: EAT 23 Jul 2007
EAT The Tribunal erred in law in holding that the Appellant had received the rest breaks to which she was entitled under reg 12 of the Working Time Regulations 1998. Gallagher v Alpha Catering Services Ltd [2005] IRLR 102 applied.The Tribunal erred in law in holding that the Appellant was not working for the purpose … Continue reading MacCartney v Oversley House Management: EAT 31 Jan 2006
The claimant had dual Irish and US nationality. He therefore also was a citizen of the EU. He complained that the British rules against payment of job seekers’ allowance were discriminatory. The matter had already been to the ECJ. Held: The residence test as applied was not in contravention of EU law. ‘[T]he proper interpretation … Continue reading Collins v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions: CA 4 Apr 2006
Retained or part-time firefighters sought parity of working conditions with full time firefighters. Held: The retained firefighters’ appeal succeeded (Lords Carswell and Mance dissenting). The test was whether the part-time and full time workers had substantially similar contract and did substantially similar work. What was meant by similarity in this case had to be tested … Continue reading Matthews and others v Kent and Medway Towns and Fire Authority and others: HL 1 Mar 2006
Mrs Nolan had been employed at a US airbase. When it closed, and she was made redundant, she complained that the appellant had not consulted properly on the redundancies. The US denied that it had responsibility to consult, and now appealed. Held: The appeal failed (Lord Carnworth dissenting). That the exact situation might not have … Continue reading The United States of America v Nolan: SC 21 Oct 2015
Three Defence employees sought to bring claims of variously race and sex discrimination against the Ministry. In each case their services were provided almost entirely abroad, and the defendant argued that there was no jurisdiction to hear the case, and that jurisdiction was not created by minimal presence here. Held: The provisions as to jurisdiction … Continue reading Saggar v Ministry of Defence: EAT 25 May 2004
The applicant had been employed to provide services to RAF in the Ascension Islands. He alleged constructive dismissal. There was an issue as to whether somebody working in the Ascension Islands was protected by the 1996 Act. The restriction on jurisdiction in s196 had been removed. The question now was as to what test applied … Continue reading Serco Ltd v Lawson and Foreign and Commonwealth Office: CA 23 Jan 2004
The employers provided ‘bank nurses’ for nursing homes and other institutions on an emergency basis, including a 24 hour telephone booking service. At night employees were based at home. The ‘duty nurse’ would answered a diverted phone call and then respond. The employee was paid an amount per shift. The Minimum Wage Compliance Team thought … Continue reading British Nursing Association v Inland Revenue (National Minimum Wage Compliance Team): CA 2002
The claimant Reynolds challenged the differential treatment by age of jobseeker’s allowance. Carson complained that as a foreign resident pensioner, her benefits had not been uprated. The questions in each case were whether the benefit affected a ‘possession’ within the Convention or the discrimination was arbitrary so as to breach the applicants human rights. Held: … Continue reading Carson and Reynolds v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions: CA 17 Jun 2003
The worker was employed as a carer for a lady who would need support at unpredictable times, but on average she would need some 6 hours’ care a day. Whilst at work, the claimant would stay with her patient for a full 24 hour day, but, except when actually engaged in giving care, she was … Continue reading Walton v The Independent Living Organisation: CA 26 Feb 2003
The claimant had become sensitive to latex dust while working for the first employer, then suffered an anaphylactic shock when coming into contact with the dust while employed by the second. Held: The regulations required that ‘every employer shall ensure that the exposure of his employee to a substance hazardous to health is either prevented, … Continue reading Dugmore v Swansea NHS Trust and Another: CA 21 Nov 2002
Legislation had been enacted to tax under Schedule E, people employed through one man service companies and similar. Representatives of such taxpayers sought review of the legislation as incompatible with European law being a hindrance to the freedom of movement of workers and also state aid. The law set to catch those who would be … Continue reading Professional Contractors’ Group and Others v Commissioners of Inland Revenue: CA 21 Dec 2001
Two appeals as to the circumstances in which the concept of ‘statutory incompatibility’ will defeat an application to register land as a town or village green where the land is held by a public authority for statutory purposes. In the first case, five plots in Lancaster were owned by LCC who objected to an application … Continue reading Lancashire County Council, Regina (on The Application of) v SSEFRA and Another: SC 11 Dec 2019
The House was asked whether a particular transaction was ‘an adventure in the nature of trade’. Held: Although the House accepted that this was ‘an inference of fact’, on the primary facts as found by the Commissioners ‘the true and only reasonable conclusion’ contradicted that decision. The House set out principles for establishing that decisions … Continue reading Edwards (Inspector of Taxes) v Bairstow: HL 25 Jul 1955
The respondent appealed against a finding that the provision which made a loan agreement completely invalid for lack of compliance with the 1974 Act was itself invalid under the Human Rights Act since it deprived the respondent lender of its property rights. It was also argued that it was not possible to make a declaration … Continue reading Wilson v Secretary of State for Trade and Industry; Wilson v First County Trust Ltd (No 2): HL 10 Jul 2003
The applicant worked as a care assistant. She was required to be resident but worked shifts through the week. She appealed a finding that she was working ‘unmeasured time’ under regulation 6, asserting that it should have been judged to be ‘time work’ Held: It was important to look at the actual average hours worked, … Continue reading J M Walton v The Independent Living Organisation Ltd: EAT 21 Mar 2002
Applications were made to strike down regulations governing the use of the herbal product kava-kava. Held: The omission of any transtitional provisions had not affected anyone. Nor was the failure to consult as to the possibility of dealing with the issue by use of a warning label fatal to the regulations. The Minister’s own personal … Continue reading National Association of Health Stores and Another, Regina (on the Application of) v Department of Health: CA 22 Feb 2005
The claimant appealed after her claim for sex discrimination had failed. She had been dismissed from her position an associate minister of the church. The court had found that it had no jurisdiction, saying that her appointment was not an employment. However the jurisdiction in sex discrimination cases was wider, extending to those who ‘contract … Continue reading Percy v Church of Scotland Board of National Mission: HL 15 Dec 2005
The claimant said that the defendant bookmakers had been negligent in allowing him to continue betting when they should have known that he was acting under an addiction. The defendant company had a policy for achieving responsible gambling, including procedures for self-exclusion. The claimant had of his own choice previously closed accounts at other bookmakers, … Continue reading Calvert v William Hill Credit Ltd: ChD 12 Mar 2008
Statutory Duty Not Extended by Common Law The claimant sought damages after a road accident. The driver came over the crest of a hill and hit a bus. The road was not marked with any warning as to the need to slow down. Held: The claim failed. The duty could not be extended to include … Continue reading Gorringe v Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council: HL 1 Apr 2004
The appellant, a part time recorder challenged his exclusion from pension arrangements. Held: The appeal was allowed. No objective justification has been shown for departing from the basic principle of remunerating part-timers pro rata temporis. ‘The reality is that recorders are expected to observe the terms and conditions of their appointment, and that they may … Continue reading O’Brien v Ministry of Justice: SC 6 Feb 2013
The applicants appealed a finding that their employees were workers within the regulations. The question related to whether bank nurses, who were available to be called on the telephone at home during the night, were working as they waited. The words ‘on-call’ cold not be used simply. The Tribunal is to look at the ingredients … Continue reading The British Nursing Assocation v The Inland Revenue National Minimum Wage Compliance Team: EAT 8 Jun 2001
Smartphone App Contractors did so as Workers The court was asked whether the employment tribunal was entitled to find that drivers whose work was arranged through Uber’s smartphone application work for Uber under workers’ contracts and so qualify for the national minimum wage, paid annual leave and other workers’ rights; or whether, as Uber contended, … Continue reading Uber Bv and Others v Aslam and Others: SC 19 Feb 2021
The court was asked whether it was lawful for the Secretary of State to make subordinate legislation imposing a cap on the amount of welfare benefits which can be received by claimants in non-working households, equivalent to the net median earnings of working households. The challenge was under the 1998 Act on the basis that … Continue reading SG and Others, Regina (on The Application of) v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions: SC 18 Mar 2015
Standing to Claim under A1P1 ECHR The appellants had written employers’ liability insurance policies. They appealed against rejection of their challenge to the 2009 Act which provided that asymptomatic pleural plaques, pleural thickening and asbestosis should constitute actionable harm for the purposes of an action of damages for personal injury. Held: The insurers’ appeals failed. … Continue reading AXA General Insurance Ltd and Others v Lord Advocate and Others: SC 12 Oct 2011
A prison policy requiring prisoners not to be present when their property was searched and their mail was examined was unlawful. The policy had been introduced after failures in search procedures where officers had been intimidated by the presence of prisoners. Particularly when examining documents subject to legal professional privilege, the rules did not allow … Continue reading Regina (Daly) v Secretary of State for the Home Department: HL 23 May 2001
The bank challenged measures taken by HM Treasury to restrict access to the United Kingdom’s financial markets by a major Iranian commercial bank, Bank Mellat, on the account of its alleged connection with Iran’s nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes. The bank sought to have the direction given under section 7 of the 2008 Act. … Continue reading Bank Mellat v Her Majesty’s Treasury (No 2): SC 19 Jun 2013
The employer disputed a finding that the Employment tribunal had jurisdiction over the employment claims made by the respondent. Rimer, Floyd, Macur LJJ [2014] EWCA Civ 1238 Bailii Employment Rights Act 1996 94(1), Employment Relations Act 1999 10 England and Wales Citing: Appeal from – Dhunna v Creditsights Ltd EAT 3-Apr-2013 EAT JURISDICTIONAL POINTS – … Continue reading Creditsights Ltd v Dhunna: CA 19 Sep 2014
Mr Lawson was employed by Serco as a security supervisor at the British RAF base on Ascension Island, which is a dependency of the British Overseas Territory of St Helena. Mr Botham was employed as a youth worker at various Ministry of Defence establishments in Germany; under the NATO Status of Forces Agreement of 1951 … Continue reading Serco Ltd v Lawson; Botham v Ministry of Defence; Crofts and others v Veta Limited: HL 26 Jan 2006
Outer House – damages after carer’s fall in snow. Held: The Outer House found Cordia liable under the PPE Regulations, the Management Regulations, and the common law. Both risk assessments for Cordia had been faulty.Lord McEwan summarised the expert evidence: He then looked at the risk assessments. Agreeing in general with the later evidence of … Continue reading Kennedy v Cordia (Services) Llp: SCS 7 Aug 2013
The applicant had been dependent upon income support, and had then come to receive Disability Living Allowance (DLA). She therefore received additional income support, but the office did not adjust that benefit down when her DLA stopped. The respondent sought repayment of the overpayment. The claimant said she had not understood the instructions. Held: The … Continue reading Hinchy v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions: HL 3 Mar 2005
The claimants sought judicial review of the report prepared by the defendants under which departments providing childrens’ heart surgery at their regional hospital would close. They complained that the consultation had been inadequate and flawed. Held: Review was granted. The respondent had failed to disclose necessary elements of the decision making progress so that the … Continue reading Save Our Surgery Ltd, Regina (on The Application of) v Joint Committee of Primary Care Trusts: Admn 7 Mar 2013
The claimant was injured at work as a consequence of the defender’s negligence. His injuries became more severe, and he came to suffer a disabling depression. Held: the Inner House had been wrong to characterise the Outer House decision as incorrect. Since the pursuer suffered physical injuries the starting point is that he was a … Continue reading Simmons v British Steel plc: HL 29 Apr 2004
Discrimination – History of interactions relevant When a tribunal considered whether the motive for an act was discriminatory, it should look not just at the act, but should make allowance for earlier acts which might throw more light on the act in question. The Tribunal should assess the totality of the evidence on any material … Continue reading Dr Anya v University of Oxford and Another: CA 22 Mar 2001
Exercise of Prerogative Power is Reviewable The House considered an executive decision made pursuant to powers conferred by a prerogative order. The Minister had ordered employees at GCHQ not to be members of trades unions. Held: The exercise of a prerogative power of a public nature may be, subject to constraints of national security and … Continue reading Council of Civil Service Unions v Minister for the Civil Service: HL 22 Nov 1984
Same Sex Partner Entitled to tenancy Succession The protected tenant had died. His same-sex partner sought a statutory inheritance of the tenancy. Held: His appeal succeeded. The Fitzpatrick case referred to the position before the 1998 Act: ‘Discriminatory law undermines the rule of law because it is the antithesis of fairness. It brings the law … Continue reading Ghaidan v Godin-Mendoza: HL 21 Jun 2004
The deceased worked for the defendants on an oil rig. He was injured by a door closer he was attempting to repair. The defendants denied that the mechanism was equipment within the Regulations. Held: The appeal was allowed. The door closer was apparatus for use at work, though provided by a different company. The Regulations … Continue reading Spencer-Franks v Kellogg Brown and Root Ltd and others: HL 2 Jul 2008
The employee was dismissed. His employers offered to pay to him andpound;9,699, the maximum sum he could have been awarded if the matter went to the tribunal, but made no admission of liability. He rejected the offer, saying that he wanted the vindication of a court hearing. The employers said that under these circumstances, the … Continue reading Telephone Information Services v Wilkinson: EAT 1991
Car Cleaning nil-hours Contractors were Workers The company contracted with the claimants to work cleaning cars. The company appealed against a finding that contrary to the explicit provisions of the contracts, they were workers within the Regulations and entitled to holiday pay and associated benefits. The contracts were ‘nil hours’ contracts neither requiring nor entitling … Continue reading Autoclenz Ltd v Belcher and Others: SC 27 Jul 2011
The applicant, a non-profit company who campaigned against animal cruelty, sought a declaration of incompatibility for section 321(2) of the 2003 Act, which prevented adverts with political purposes, as an unjustified restraint on the right of political expression. Held: Though the regulation was an interference in the claimant’s right of free expression, it was prescribed … Continue reading Animal Defenders International, Regina (on the Application of) v Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport: HL 12 Mar 2008
The court considered the workings of fixed term employment contracts under which the claimants taught in Europe. The Secretary of State argued that the contracts validly limited the claimants’ employment to nine years. The claimants said the 2002 Regulations operated to change the contracts into permanent ones. The decision was ‘whether the employment contracts between … Continue reading Duncombe and Others v Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families: CA 14 Dec 2009
Account taken of circumstances wihout ambiguity The respondent gave advice on home income plans. The individual claimants had assigned their initial claims to the scheme, but later sought also to have their mortgages in favour of the respondent set aside. Held: Investors having once assigned their causes of action to the ICS, could not later … Continue reading Investors Compensation Scheme Ltd v West Bromwich Building Society: HL 19 Jun 1997
The government operated European Schools catering for children of staff of the European Community. The school staff challenged as unlawful, the contracts restricting their terms of employment with the schools to a maximum of nine years. Held: The Secretary of State’s appeal succeeded. It was objectively justified to employ the teachers on the current fixed … Continue reading Duncombe and Others v Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families: SC 29 Mar 2011
EAT National Minimum Wage – In the context of the National Minimum Wage Regulations 1999 the Employment Tribunal had failed to take into account or, if the factors had been taken into account, explain why they were not material, the following: (1) The fact that the Claimant was able to leave the School’s premises at … Continue reading Governing Body of Binfield Church of England Primary School v Roll: EAT 18 Jan 2016
esparon_slvikovskaEAT201405 EAT National Minimum Wage : The Claimant was employed as a care worker at the Respondent’s residential care home. She was required to work a number of ‘sleep-in’ night shifts and be available for emergency purposes. There were statutory provisions that required the Respondent, for example to ensure that at all times suitably qualified, … Continue reading Esparon (T/A Middle West Residential Care Home) v Slavikovska: EAT 8 May 2014
The appellants said that the 2004 Act infringed their rights under articles 8 11 and 14 and Art 1 of protocol 1. Held: Article 8 protected the right to private and family life. Its purpose was to protect individuals from unjustified intrusion by state agents into the private sphere within which they expected to be … Continue reading Countryside Alliance and others, Regina (on the Application of) v Attorney General and Another: HL 28 Nov 2007
The applicants had been imprisoned and held without trial, being suspected of international terrorism. No criminal charges were intended to be brought. They were foreigners and free to return home if they wished, but feared for their lives if they did. A British subject, who was suspected in the exact same way, and there were … Continue reading A v Secretary of State for the Home Department, and X v Secretary of State for the Home Department: HL 16 Dec 2004
EAT CONTRACT OF EMPLOYMENTConstruction of termThe Employment Tribunal erred in construing the terms and conditions of employment as permitting the employer to transfer the employee to another location, providing it was reasonable to do so. [2009] UKEAT 0410 – 08 – 1908, [2009] ICR 1563, [2009] IRLR 972 Bailii Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) … Continue reading Tapere v South London and Maudsley NHS Trust: EAT 19 Aug 2009
Safety Duty on Employer was not Absolute The pursuer was injured slipping on ice in her defender employer’s car park. Liability depended on the interpretation of regulation 5, the claimant saying that it imposed an absolute requirement to maintain the workplace in efficient working order and good repair. The defender said it was governed by … Continue reading Munro v Aberdeen City Council: SCS 17 Sep 2009
The pursuer sought damages after her husband’s death from lung cancer. She said that the defenders were negligent in having continued to sell him cigarettes knowing that they would cause this. Held: The action failed. The plaintiff had not proved that the smoking of cigarettes was the cause of the lung cancer, and it was … Continue reading McTear v Imperial Tobacco Ltd: OHCS 31 May 2005
Each claimant had graduated from a tertiary college and wished to stay on in the UK. They challenged the points based system for assessing elgibility introduced in 2008 after they had commenced their studies. The new rules tightened the criteria for staying. Held: The appeals succeeded. By 1969, immigration rules had by law shed the … Continue reading Secretary of State for The Home Department v Pankina: CA 23 Jun 2010
The industrial tribunal had made a finding of direct race discrimination. The Employment Appeal Tribunal found the decision perverse, and ordered a rehearing. The applicant appealed that order. Held: The EAT must be careful not to take disagreements as to findings on facts as faults in law. No appeal on a question of law should … Continue reading Yeboah v Crofton: CA 31 May 2002
The section in the 1985 Act created a power to prevent rent increases for tenancies of dwelling-houses for purposes including the alleviation of perceived hardship. Accordingly the Secretary of State could issue regulations whose effect was to limit the maximum amount of rent in the proper exercise of that discretionary power. The Act as a … Continue reading Regina v Secretary of State for the Environment Transport and the Regions and another, ex parte Spath Holme Limited: HL 7 Dec 2000
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 Employment Tribunals. The employments fell within the exeptions governing employment abroad identified in Lawsn -v- Serco. … Continue reading Duncombe and Others v Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (No 2): SC 15 Jul 2011
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 … Continue reading Clyde and Co Llp and Another v Bates van Winkelhof: CA 26 Sep 2012
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 male lecturers who are employees, but under contract with a third company – Self-employed lecturers not eligible … Continue reading Allonby v Accrington and Rossendale College for Education and Employment: ECJ 13 Jan 2004
One claimant said that as a foreign resident pensioner, she had been excluded from the annual uprating of state retirement pension, and that this was an infringement of her human rights. Another complained at the lower levels of job-seeker’s allowance payable to those under 25. Held: (Lord Carswell dissented in part.) The claims failed. The … Continue reading Carson, Regina (on the Application of) v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions; Reynolds v Same: HL 26 May 2005
Employment Tribunals to Provide Sufficient Reasons Tribunals, when giving their decisions, are required to do no more than to make clear their findings of fact and to answer any question of law raised. Bingham LJ said: ‘It has on a number of occasions been made plain that the decision of an Industrial Tribunal is not … Continue reading Meek v City of Birmingham District Council: CA 18 Feb 1987
The Claimants worked as receptionist and warden at a caravan site operated by the Respondent. As well as having regular working hours, they were required to be ‘on call’ on certain days from the evening until 8am the next day. Whilst their contracts . .
The claimant appealed dismissal of his claim for harrassment and sex discrimination. Though heterosexual, he had been subject to persistent jokes that he was homosexual. The court first asked whether the alleged conduct was ‘on the grounds of sexual . .
A minister of the Presbyterian Church of Wales who had been inducted pastor of a united pastorate in Wales claimed unfair dismissal.
Held: If the existence or otherwise of the relationship of employer and employee is dependent solely upon the . .