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 applicant had been a head teacher. She claimed unfair dismissal. The respondents claimed that they were not her employers. The school was a community school. Held: The governors should have been the correct respondents. They held the powers consistent with the power to dismiss. A constructive dismissal claim should not be treated differently on … Continue reading Kent County Council v Green: CA 23 Jan 2004
EAT Practice and Procedure – Application. The application had been presented timeously at the ET in Edinburgh, but was out of time when retransmitted to Glasgow. The tribunal had found the Edinburgh office to be an area office, and not a regional office and therefore the application was not accepted within the Regulations. The appellant … Continue reading Matheson v Mazars Solutions Ltd: EAT 16 Dec 2003
EAT Judge McMullen QC adopted a limited view of the scope of the new principle of stable employment set out at the ECJ and HL. He thought it was intended ‘to rescue employees who do not have a permanent job’; and that it was confined to cases of the kind considered by the ECJ, that … Continue reading Preston and others v Wolverhampton Healthcare NHS Trust and others: EAT 3 Nov 2003
The EAT rejected jurisdiction over a claim for unfair dismissal. The employment must have ‘a sufficient, that is substantial connection with this country’. Judges: Judge Peter Clark Citations: [2003] EAT 0547 – 02 – 0209, [2003] UKEAT 0547 – 02 – 0209, [2003] IRLR 824 Links: Bailii, Bailii Statutes: Employment Rights Act 1996 196 Jurisdiction: … Continue reading Jackson v Ghost Ltd and Another: EAT 2 Sep 2003
EAT Two employees had fought at work. One had an expired formal written warning on his record. It had been reduced on appeal from a final warning. His disciplinary offence was of a different nature than the later misconduct. He was dismissed The procedure, modelled on the ACAS Code of Practice, provided that the formal … Continue reading UK Coal Mining Ltd v Raby: EAT 30 Jan 2003
Applications for leave to appeal. The claimant had alleged unfair dismissal. The respondent denied jurisdiction. Judges: Lord Justice Mance, Lord Justice Mummerym Lord Justice Simon Brown Citations: [2003] EWCA Civ 1695 Links: Bailii Statutes: Employment Rights Act 1996 196(2) Jurisdiction: England and Wales Citing: See Also – Harada Ltd v Turner CA 6-Apr-2001 The claimant … Continue reading Harada Limited (T/A Chequepoint) v Turner: CA 2 Dec 2003
The claimant said that his dismissal was automatically unfair on the basis that he had made a qualifying disclosure. Held: ‘the worker’s reasonable belief in s.43B(1) relates to the information which he is disclosing and not to the existence of a legal obligation which does not actually exist. In other words if the employers are … Continue reading Kraus v Penna Plc and Another: EAT 20 Nov 2003
The parties entered into agreements licensing the exclusive distribution of encrypted television channels within Turkey. A clause provided a calculation of damages for a breach amounting to the balance of licence fees due, and other penalties, including the return of proprietary rights. On a breach the licensors sought to enforce the contract. On an application … Continue reading Cine Bes Filmcilik Ve Yapimcilik and Another v United International Pictures and Others: CA 21 Nov 2003
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
News Group Newspapers Ltd had been joined as a party, in order that it could argue the obvious public interest relating to the importance, which has long been accepted in the courts, of the interest, not just of the press but of the public generally, in freedom of reporting and openness in court hearings. Discrimination … Continue reading Chessington World of Adventures Ltd v Reed: EAT 27 Jun 1997
The claimant contracted to supply football shirts to the defendant, but claimed that clauses in the contract with regards to late delivery and payment operated as penalties and so were void at common law. Held: The sums set out were immodest and went far beyond any attempt to pre-estimate losses. They were invalid as a … Continue reading Jeancharm Ltd (T/A Beaver International) v Barnet Football Club Ltd: CA 16 Jan 2002
Section 94(1) of the 1996 Act did not apply to protect a British national locally engaged to work in the British Embassy in Rome. Judges: Burton P J Citations: EAT/174/02, [2003] EAT 174 – 02 – 1003, [2003] UKEAT 174 – 02 – 1003 Links: Bailii, Bailii, EAT Statutes: Employment Rights Act 1996 94(1) Cited … Continue reading Bryant v The Foreign and Commnonwealth Office: EAT 10 Mar 2003
The applicant appealed striking out of her employment claims against the respondent. She had been made bankrupt after lodging her appeal to the EAT, and the EAT had held that she lacked standing to pursue her claim. Held: Employment claims are in their essential nature personal and not proprietary, and did not vest in the … Continue reading Grady v HM Prison Service: CA 11 Apr 2003
Judges: The Honourable Lord Johnston Citations: EATS/0015/02, [2002] UKEAT 0015 – 02 – 2211 Links: Bailii, EAT Statutes: Employment Rights Act 1996 123(1) Citing: Mentioned – Edwards v The Governors of Hanson School EAT 11-Jan-2001 EAT Unfair Dismissal – Procedural fairness/automatically unfair dismissal. . . Cited by: Appeal from – Dignity Funerals Limited v Bruce … Continue reading Bruce v Dignity Funerals Ltd (Formerly SCI Funerals Ltd): EAT 22 Nov 2002
EAT Unfair Dismissal – OtherThe employer appealed a finding of unfair dismissal and disability discrimination. She suffered an apparently minor injury, but which led to long standing disability with varying diagnoses. The company doctor came to consider it would be a long time before she could return. She was dismissed for capability. Held: There was … Continue reading Gate Gourmet v J B Jangra: EAT 12 Dec 2000
The claimant solicitor had alleged disability discrimination, but several months later applied to amend his claim, to include a claim for unfair dismissal. The respondent appealed permission to do so. Held: The EAT was being asked to interfere with the exercise of a discretion, and faced a high hurdle. The tribunal should look at what … Continue reading Swiss Re Life and Health Ltd v A H Kay: EAT 11 Jul 2002
PC (Bermuda) The courts should be reluctant to accept a fetter on the employer’s right to dismiss on notice where there is an express term in the contract empowering the employer to do so. Lord Millet considered the contention that the employer was duty bound to preserve the relationship of trust and confidence: ‘which ought … Continue reading Reda, Abdul-Jalil v Flag Limited: PC 11 Jul 2002
The employee claimed that he had been unlawfully dismissed, and that his dismissal broke the protection given to whistleblowers under the Act. The employer appealed. Held: In such claims it was necessary first for the tribunal to establish whether it had jurisdiction, by testing whether a protected disclosure had taken place, and whether that had … Continue reading ALM Medical Services Limited v Bryan Bladon: CA 26 Jul 2002
The appellants were journalists and other workers, and members of trades unions. Their employers had de-recognised the unions, paying sums to buy out those rights. The claimants had not surrendered their rights, and had been paid less because of it. Held: The Act did not protect the employees rights of association as guaranteed by article … Continue reading Wilson and NUJ, Palmer, Wyeth and RMT, Doolan and Others v The United Kingdom: ECHR 2 Jul 2002
The complainant was a post office employee. He brought a claim for unfair dismissal, but he posted it at a time when in the normal course of delivery, it would not arrive. He claimed to be unaware of the normal times for delivery. Held: It was for the claimant to establish that his case fell … Continue reading Consignia Plc v Russell Sealy: CA 19 Jun 2002
The claimant sought damages for sex discrimination after her summary dismissal. Though she received some advice, her application was lodged out of time. For the unfair dismissal and unlawful deductions claims, the test was whether it had been reasonably practicable to act within the time limits, but for the sex discrimination claim, the test was … Continue reading Six Continents Retail Ltd (Formerly Bass Taverns Limited T/A Bass Leisure Retail) v Hughes: EAT 19 Apr 2002
The complainant appealed a decision that she had not been constructively dismissed. She had been told off in public, causing her great distress. The tribunal had found the employer’s behaviour regrettable but not such as to break the duty of trust and confidence. It was argued that any breach of that duty must go to … Continue reading Morrow v Safeway Stores Plc: EAT 21 Sep 2000
The claimants sought damages against the defendants for their late delivery of a building. The contractors sought to share the damages with the architects who had certified the delays, defeating their own claims. Held: The Act sought to extend the circumstances under which contributions could be sought, but their claim against the architects were of … Continue reading Royal Brompton Hospital National Health Service Trust v Hammond and others: HL 25 Apr 2002
The employers appealed against findings that employees could claim constructive dismissal on a transfer of an undertaking simply because of a change in the employment conditions after the transfer. Held: Neither the Regulations nor the Act created a new right beyond the preservation of existing rights. To found a case for constructive dismissal, the employee … Continue reading Rossiter v Pendragon plc; Clarke v Air Foyle Ltd: CA 10 May 2002
The claimants challenge a decision by the defendant to direct that the Government should not commence or fully implement section 192 of the Employment Rights Act 1996 (‘ERA’) at present. That section, if implemented in full, would enable service personnel to bring Employment Tribunal claims for causes of action including unfair dismissal. Judges: The Hon … Continue reading British Medical Association and Another, Regina (on The Application of) v Secretary of State for Defence: Admn 25 May 2022
The claimant sought repayment of sums he claimed were unlawfully deducted from his salary. He had been off sick for an extended period, and had been paid only half salary. He said that the injury was a qualifying industrial accident. Medical evidence suggested it related back to degeneration which started before he had begun to … Continue reading Mohammed v London Borough of Camden: EAT 11 Oct 2001
The employee had been dismissed. She alleged that it was because of her pregnancy, and was automatically unfair. The employers, a firm of solicitors, alleged that it related to her standards of work. Held: To establish sex discrimination a woman does not need to show that her pregnancy was the only cause, or even the … Continue reading Martin v Goldsobel: EAT 6 Sep 2001
In a case alleging indirect sex discrimination in the differing rules denying entitlement to redundancy payments for men over 65, the tribunal should be ready to look at a wide range of statistics. The test is whether the rule imposed some condition which could be met only by a substantially smaller proportion of one sex … Continue reading Harvest Town Circle Ltd v Rutherford: EAT 10 Jul 2001
The applicant had been employed for a short period. He was dismissed, and he claimed that this was because he had made a protected disclosure in complaining about the respondent’s health and safety practices. He had applied for interim relief. The respondent company had asked that the claim be treated as vexatious, and at the … Continue reading Parkins v Sodexho Ltd: EAT 22 Jun 2001
The claimants sought a declaration that part of the Regulations were invalid, and an infringement of their human rights. The Regulations sought to exempt church schools from an obligation not to discriminate against homosexual teachers. Held: The Regulation was within the scope of the Directive. Though a member state had some freedom in implementing a … Continue reading Regina (Amicus etc) v Secretary of State for Trade and Industry: Admn 26 Apr 2004
It is a basic principle of European Union law that national law should provide effective legal protection, by establishing a system of legal remedies and procedures which ensure respect for the relevant European law right: ‘For the purposes of applying those principles, each case which raises the question whether a national procedural provision renders application … Continue reading Peterbroeck, Van Campenhout and Cie v Belgian State: ECJ 14 Dec 1995
An employee’s job ceased, but he continued to be employed by the same employer on different tasks, but the new arrangement was void as ultra vires. The question arose as to whether his employment had been terminated at the time of the change in such a way as to affect his pension rights under the … Continue reading Eastbourne Borough Council v James Foster: CA 11 Jul 2001
The claimant doctor had been dismissed. He said it was unfairly, and the Trust replied that he had been made redundant ‘for some other reason’ since he had nt acceted new conditions of work. Held: The employee’s appeal failed. The EAT had re-iterated the conclusion that there had been no diminution of the need for … Continue reading Shawkat v Nottingham City Hospital NHS Trust: CA 21 Jun 2001
The employer appealed against a finding of unfair dismissal. Held: In deciding whether the applicant had been unfairly dismissed for misconduct, the tribunal was free to consider whether the procedure adopted by the employer was reasonable, even where the applicant had admitted the misconduct. The band of reasonable responses test should be applied equally to … Continue reading Whitbread Plc (Trading As Whitbread Medway Inns) v Hall: CA 27 Feb 2001
The employer had withheld ten per cent of the claimant’s wages, Employees worked in teams cleaning windows in office blocks. The team agreed how the fee for the block would be divided. The employer reduced its fees to customers, and accordingly the sums paid to the employees. It now appealed a finding of an unlawful … Continue reading New Century Cleaning Co Ltd v Church: CA 26 Mar 1999
The defendant appealed a finding of the EAT that the claimant had standing to claim discrimination under the Act in the way her application to be a foster mother had been treated. Held: After the EAT decision in W v Essex, it was clear that the relation ship between the council and a foster parent … Continue reading Rowlands v City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council: CA 26 Mar 1999
The claimant had sought damages against his employer, saying that they had failed in their duty to him under the 1997 Act in failing to prevent harassment by a manager. He appealed a strike out of his claim. Held: The appeal succeeded. The issue is whether an employer may be vicariously liable under section 3 … Continue reading Majrowski v Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Trust: CA 16 Mar 2005
The court was asked whether a school was entitled to refuse to allow a Muslim girl to wear the niqab full face veil at school. The reasons were ‘first educational factors resulting from a teacher being unable to see the face of the girl with a niqab; second the importance of a uniform policy as … Continue reading X, Regina (on the Application of) v Y School: Admn 21 Feb 2007
The issue in this appeal is when time starts to run for a claim by a part-time judge to a pension under the Part-time Workers’ Directive (Directive 97/81) (‘PTWD’), as applied by the Part-time Workers (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations 2000 (SI 2000/1551). The Appeals were allowed. As judicial officers are not employed under … Continue reading Miller and Others v Ministry of Justice: SC 16 Dec 2019
The Court was asked whether a district judge qualifies as a ‘worker’ for the purpose of the protection given to whistle-blowers under Part IVA of the 1996 Act, and if not then was the absence of protection an infringement of her human rights. Held: As an office holder, she was neither employee nor worker, and … Continue reading Gilham v Ministry of Justice: SC 16 Oct 2019
The Tribunal had been entitled to find on the evidence that an employee unfairly dismissed by reason of sex would have been fairly dismissed for misconduct six months later in any event because of her antagonistic and intransigent attitude. The court considered whether damages for unfair dismissal could include an element of compensation for injured … Continue reading O’Donoghue v Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council: CA 17 May 2001
ECJ Social policy – Men and women – Equal pay – Membership of an occupational pension scheme – Part-time workers – Exclusion – National procedural rules – Principle of effectiveness – Principle of equivalence. Citations: [2001] 2 AC 415, C-78/98, [2000] IRLR 06, [2000] EUECJ C-78/98 Links: Bailii Jurisdiction: European Citing: Reference From – Preston … Continue reading Preston and Others v Wolverhampton Healthcare NHS Trust and Others; Fletcher and Others v Midland Bank plc: ECJ 16 May 2000
EAT Health and Safety – Detriment – S 44 Employment Rights Act Judges: The Honourable Lord Johnston Citations: [2004] UKEAT 0048 – 04 – 1512, EATS/0048/04 Links: Bailii, EAT Statutes: Employment Rights Act 1996 44 Jurisdiction: Scotland Employment Updated: 22 May 2022; Ref: scu.228694
Europa The commission, in the exercise of the powers which it has under articles 155 and 169 of the treaty, does not have to show the existence of a legal interest, since, in the general interest of the community, its function is to ensure that the provisions of the treaty are applied by the member … Continue reading Commission v France (Judgment): ECJ 4 Apr 1974
The applicant was recruited in Saudi Arabia in 1986 as a flight attendant under a contract expressed to be subject to Saudi Arabian law. After being trained in Jeddah, and then employed in India for four years, she was transferred to be based in London, from which all her tours of duty as a flight … Continue reading Carver (Nee Mascarenhas) v Saudi Arabian Airlines: CA 17 Mar 1999
The German courts construed a teacher’s duty of loyalty as absolute and owed equally by every civil servant, regardless of his or her function and rank under national law. Every civil servant, whatever his or her own opinion on the matter, must unambiguously renounce all groups and movements which the competent authorities hold to be … Continue reading Vogt v Germany: ECHR 1 Nov 1995
EAT Jurisdiction Judges: His Hon Judge J Altman Citations: EAT/18/02 Links: EAT Statutes: Employment Rights Act 1996 196 Jurisdiction: England and Wales Cited by: Appeal from – Serco Ltd v Lawson and Foreign and Commonwealth Office CA 23-Jan-2004 The applicant had been employed to provide services to RAF in the Ascension Islands. He alleged constructive … Continue reading Lawson v Serco Ltd: EAT 12 Dec 2002
Citations: [1997] EWCA Civ 1013 Jurisdiction: England and Wales Citing: See Also – Fletcher and others and Preston and others v Midland Bank Plc and Wolverhampton Healthcare NHS Trust Secretary of State for Health and others EAT 24-Jun-1996 EAT Equal Pay Act – Addendum to principal judgment. Part timers’ claims for membership of pension schemes … Continue reading Preston and others v Wolverhampton Healthcare Trust Secretary of State for Health: CA 13 Feb 1997
The claimants worked for Rotaprint when it went into receivership in 1988, and then for the receiver before being transferred to Pan Graphics. Statutory redundany payments were made on the receivership of Rotaprint. The claimants sought further redundancy payment on the insolvency of Rotaprint. The Secretary now appealed the decision of the EAT that payments … Continue reading Lassman and Others v Secretary of State for Trade and Industry: CA 19 Apr 2000
An employee did not return to work after a presentation to him of a good service award, because he had drunk alcohol. A new policy required staff not to return to work after consuming alcohol, but had also said that alcohol would not be provided. Held: The tribunal had failed to look properly at how … Continue reading Haddon v Van Den Bergh Foods Ltd: EAT 10 Nov 1999
The fact that a director held a majority shareholding in a company was not enough of itself to say he was not an employee. It is an important factor, but the tribunal must look at all the factors. The tribunal having decided that the director’s service agreement was not a sham, it was inevitable they … Continue reading Connolly v Sellers Arenascene Ltd: CA 2 Feb 2001
The tribunal must first decide if a renewal of a fixed term contract was an extension or a re-engagement before deciding if unfair dismissal was possible: ‘We accept the submission that a contract for a fixed term may be extended as to its term, leaving the same contract in place. We accept too, that when … Continue reading Bhatt v Chelsea and Westminster Health Care Trust and Another: EAT 9 Sep 1997
The appellants resisted disclosure to the revenue of advice it had received. It claimed legal advice privilege (LAP), though the advice was from its accountants. Held: (Lords Sumption and Clarke dissenting) LAP applies to all communications passing between a client and its lawyers, acting in their professional capacity, in connection with the provision of legal … Continue reading Prudential Plc and Another, Regina (on The Application of) v Special Commissioner of Income Tax and Another: SC 23 Jan 2013
An MOD ban on employing homosexuals was not Wednesbury unreasonable, even though it might be out of date. Pannick (counsel for the applicant, approved): ‘The court may not interfere with the exercise of an administrative discretion on substantive grounds save where the court is satisfied that the decision is unreasonable in the sense that it … Continue reading Regina v Ministry of Defence Ex Parte Smith and Others: QBD 7 Jun 1995
EAT Employees of an unincorporated charitable association are employed by the management committee or other similar body within the association, and not by the members of the association at large. The employees have continuity of employment despite any change in the constitution of the committee. In practice such actions should be brought against a representative … Continue reading Affleck and Others v Newcastle Mind and Others: EAT 10 Mar 1999
EAT Transfer of Undertakings – Acquired rights directiveThe European Acquired rights directive sought to protect the rights of employees on the a transfer of a business to another employer. It was transposed into UK law by regulations purportedly made under 2(2) of the 1972 Act. The tribunal held that TUPE applied where the employer became … Continue reading Perth and Kinross Council v Tony Donaldson and 14 Others Newtown Construction Scotland Ltd Meldru: EAT 30 Oct 2003
The employer appealed a finding that there had been continuity of employment between itself and a previous employer. The employees had sought a statement as to their terms of employment. The employer was a training and enterprise council, to whom the employees had first been seconded from the Department of Employment. There was an unresolved … Continue reading Celtec Limited v John Astley Julie Owens, Deborah Lynn Hawkes: EAT 5 Oct 2001
The claimant had been sole director of a company which went into liquidation. He sought a redundancy payment from the respondent under the 1996 Act. It was refused. The tribunal had applied Buchan. It had refused to hear an argument that the tribunal chairman was also employed by the respondent and could not therefore be … Continue reading Smith v Secretary of State for Trade and Industry: EAT 15 Oct 1999
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
Unfair dismissal – Automatically unfair reasons/ Reasonableness of dismissal Appeal on the grounds that the Employment Tribunal had not applied the correct statutory tests of causation under s.103A Employment Rights Act 1996 and s.4(1) Sex Discrimination Act 1975 upheld. The Employment Tribunal erred in finding only a causation link and failed to apply the statutory … Continue reading Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council v Scanlon: EAT 22 May 2007
The claimants sought to challenge the legislation which removed their employment rights upon attaining the age of 65, arguing that this was discriminatory against men. The Secretary of State appealed the tribunal’s decision. Held: The tribunal had selected the wrong set of comparators. In cases where the issue related to the entitlement to redundancy payments … Continue reading Secretary of State for Trade and Industry v Rutherford and Another; Same v Bentley: EAT 2 Oct 2003
The claimants had had their employments transferred to another body under TUPE. They complained that their pension rights had been discriminatory. The employer appealed a finding that their claim had not been out of time. Held: The effect of the Regulations was to transfer all employment rights unchanged save only the pension obligations. The pension … Continue reading Preston and others v Wolverhampton Healthcare NHS Trust and Others (No 3): CA 7 Oct 2004
The employee was a whistleblower, but her manager in response bullied her and dismissed her on the grounds of alleged poor performance. J suffered stress and was away from work and unable to defend herself. The decision maker, acting honestly dismissed her. The Court of Appeal allowed the appeal holding that that a tribunal required … Continue reading Royal Mail Group Ltd v Jhuti: SC 27 Nov 2019
Judges: Lord Justice Bean Citations: [2020] EWCA Civ 1601 Links: Bailii Statutes: Employment Rights Act 1996 Jurisdiction: England and Wales Employment Updated: 08 May 2022; Ref: scu.656372
The claimants said that they had been tortured by Saudi police when arrested on false charges. They sought damages, and appealed against an order denying jurisdiction over the defendants. They said that the allegation of torture allowed an exception to state immunity. Held: The Kingdom’s appeal succeeded. The protection of state immunity was essentially a … Continue reading Jones v Ministry of Interior for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and others: HL 14 Jun 2006
The EAT considered what would amount to a series of acts of detriment when considering whether a protected disclosure action was out of time. Held: HHJ JR Reid QC asked: ‘What then is the meaning of ‘a series of similar acts or failures’? ‘Series’ necessarily connotes some factual linkage between events. It is not simply … Continue reading Arthur v London Eastern Railway Ltd (T/A One Stansted Express): EAT 13 Jun 2005
CS The Defendant had been employed by the Claimant ouncil for many years, initially as an advisor on further and higher education, but latterly as an education assistant. The Claimants informed the Defendant that his contract of employment would terminate on grounds of redundancy with effect from 15 December 1995. On that date, when the … Continue reading Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council v Hancock: SCCO 2 Mar 2001
There is no justification for artificially excising from the damages recoverable for breach of contract that part of the financial loss which might or might not be the subject of a successful claim in defamation. A claim for mere loss of reputation is properly for an action for defamation, and cannot ordinarily be sustained by … Continue reading Foaminol Laboratories Ltd v British Artide Plastics Ltd: 1941
The applicant had worked as a waitress for the company, working as they requested, and also at her own option. She claimed the right to paid leave under the working time regulations. The tribunal found that she had been continuously employed for 13 weeks. The regulations required that the relationship be governed by a contract … Continue reading Voteforce Associates Ltd v K Quinn: EAT 30 Jul 2001
Employees employed under fixed term contracts with two week periods in between were not continuously employed despite the expectation of the renewal of employment and the use of same employee number and same lockers. Citations: Gazette 24-Mar-1999, [1999] IRLR 16 Statutes: Employment Rights Act 1996 212(3)(c) Jurisdiction: England and Wales Employment Updated: 28 April 2022; … Continue reading Booth et Al v United States of America: EAT 24 Mar 1999
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
Exemplary Damages Award in Defamation The plaintiff had been awarded damages for defamation. The defendants pleaded justification. Before the trial the plaintiff gave notice that he wanted additional, exemplary, damages. The trial judge said that such a claim had to have been pleaded. The Court of Appeal had considered Rookes -v- Barnard to have been … Continue reading Cassell and Co Ltd v Broome and Another: HL 23 Feb 1972
EAT Jurisdictional Points : Worker, Employee or Neither – The claimant asserted the right not to be unfairly dismissed. She had been an ordained minister in Full Connection of the Methodist church. Held: Leave to appeal granted. Judges: Keith J Citations: [2010] UKEAT 0219 – 10 – 2411 Links: Bailii Statutes: Employment Rights Act 1996 … Continue reading Moore v The President of The Methodist Conference: EAT 24 Nov 2010
A full-time a full-time chairman of industrial tribunals, a full time chairman of social security appeal tribunals, and a social security commissioner are workers within the meaning of the European legislation, even though, by domestic legislation they were statutory officers, and so excluded from protection. The word ‘worker’ has a special community meaning, and it … Continue reading Perceval-Price, and others v Department of Economic Development etc: CANI 12 Apr 2000
Jurisdictional Points: Worker, Employee or Neither – The Employment Judge made no error of law in concluding that District Judges are office-holders and do not also work under a contract of employment or for services. Judges: Simler DBE P J Citations: [2016] UKEAT 0087 – 16 – 3110, [2017] ICR 404, [2017] IRLR 23 Links: … Continue reading Gilham v Ministry of Justice: EAT 31 Oct 2016
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
Appeal by employment judge against dismissal of whistleblower’s claim. Held: Dismissed. An employment judge is an office-holder, and neither office holder nor worker. Judges: Lady Justice Gloster (Vice President of the Court of Appeal (Civil Division)) Lord Justice Underhill And Lord Justice Singh Citations: [2017] EWCA Civ 2220, [2018] IRLR 315, [2018] 3 All ER … Continue reading Gilham v Ministry of Justice: CA 21 Dec 2017
Minister was not an employee The claimant asserted unfair dismissal. The Conference said that as an ordained minister she was not an employee, and was outwith the jurisdiction of such a claim. Held: The Conference’s appeal succeeded (Baroness Hale dissenting). The essence of the arrangement between the Conference and a minister lay in the constitution … Continue reading Methodist Conference v Preston: SC 15 May 2013
No Condemnation Without Opportunity For Defence Ridge, a Chief Constable, had been wrongfully dismissed without being given the opportunity of presenting his defence. He had been acquitted of the charges brought against him, but the judge at trial had made adverse comments about his behaviour. He now accepted that he should leave, but sought to … Continue reading Ridge v Baldwin (No 1): HL 14 Mar 1963
The House considered whether the taxpayer held a public office. Held: Lord Wright: The word ‘office’ as applied in an employment law context is of indefinite content. Lord Atkin said: ‘Without adopting the sentence as a complete definition one may treat the following expression of Rowlatt J. in Great Western Ry. Co. v. Bater, adopted … Continue reading McMillan v Guest: HL 1942
Working Time Regulations Issue as to whether Appellant was worker within s230(3)(b) of Employment Rights Act 1996 . The Employment Tribunal did not address question of personal obligation to work. Remitted to same Tribunal – Sinclair Roche applied: adjustment to quantum to allow for argument that mileage allowance was expense not remuneration. Judges: The Honourable … Continue reading Valuecable Ltd (T/A Retail Outlet Design) v Berry: EAT 12 Jan 2005
The courts should not too readily construe restrictive covenants, ex facie too wide, as being subject to implicit limitations since: ‘Thus would be perpetuated the long-recognised vice of ex-employees being left subject to apparently excessive restraints and yet quite unable, short of expensive litigation and at peril of substantial damages claims, to determine precisely what … Continue reading JA Mont (UK) Limited v Mills: 1993
A compromise agreement anticipating termination of employment could compromise claims contemplated and identified, but could not debar ‘a particular complaint’ not referred to, in this case a sex discrimination claim. Citations: Gazette 21-Apr-1999, (1999) ICR 17 Statutes: Employment Rights Act 1996 203 Employment Updated: 09 April 2022; Ref: scu.83244
Whether the respondent’s complaint of unfair dismissal was presented to the Industrial Tribunal within the time limit laid down in the Employment Rights Act 1996 s.111(2). Judges: The Honourable Mr Justice Keene Citations: [1997] UKEAT 233 – 97 – 2103 Links: Bailii Statutes: Employment Rights Act 1996 111(2) Jurisdiction: England and Wales Employment Updated: 09 … Continue reading Top Rank Ltd v Dowding: EAT 21 Mar 1997
Unfair Dismissal – For the purposes of the law of unfair dismissal, section 95(1)(a) Employment Rights Act 1996 provides that the concept of dismissal includes a case in which the contract of employment is terminated by the employer. In the present case, by a letter of 16 April 2019, the employee resigned by giving nine … Continue reading Fentem v Outform EMEA Ltd: EAT 25 Feb 2022
Presumption of Damage in Defamation is rebuttable The defendant complained that the presumption in English law that the victim of a libel had suffered damage was incompatible with his right to a fair trial. They said the statements complained of were repetitions of statements made by US authorities. The claimant had asserted that no more … Continue reading Dow Jones and Co Inc v Jameel: CA 3 Feb 2005
The claimants, a Polish national and an Austrian national, appealed against decisions of the Court of Appeal upholding decisions that they were not entitled to certain benefits, namely income support and housing assistance respectively, pursuant to the provisions of United Kingdom domestic law. Held: The claimants’ appeals failed. When she applied, Ms Mirga was not … Continue reading Mirga v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Samin v Westminster City Council: SC 27 Jan 2016
Appeal against the unanimous decision of an Industrial Tribunal held at Reading which upheld Mr Porter’s complaint that the Respondents, his former employers, had made unlawful deductions from his wages and that he was entitled to pounds 1,831.71 by way of reimbursement under the Employment Rights Act 1996. Judges: The Honourable Mr Justice Morison (P) … Continue reading Sphikas and Son v Porter: EAT 3 Mar 1997
VICTIMISATION DISCRIMINATION – Interim relief VICTIMISATION DISCRIMINATION – Whistleblowing VICTIMISATION DISCRIMINATION – Dismissal JURISDICTIONAL POINTS – Fraud and illegality Interim relief application – whistleblowing claim – complaint of automatic unfair dismissal under section 103A Employment Rights Act 1996 – protected disclosures – public interest – illegality Judges: Eady QC HHJ Citations: [2017] UKEAT 0283 – … Continue reading Sheikh Khalid Bin Saqr Al Qasimi v Robinson: EAT 22 Dec 2017
The employee appealed against rejection of his claim for automatic unfair dismissal, saying it had been because he had made protected disclosures, that he was a whistleblower. Judges: Black, Beatson, Underhill LJJ Citations: [2017] EWCA Civ 979 Links: Bailii Statutes: Employment Rights Act 1996 Jurisdiction: England and Wales Employment Updated: 05 April 2022; Ref: scu.588988
UNFAIR DISMISSAL – Constructive dismissal The Appellant was dismissed with notice on the ground of capability arising from long-term medical absence. His claim for unfair dismissal was dismissed by the Employment Tribunal after a Full Hearing in 2014. The Employment Appeal Tribunal in 2016 concluded that, in its consideration of the reasonableness of the decision … Continue reading Fox v British Airways Plc: EAT 20 Nov 2017
The court reconsidered the law relating to penalty clauses in contracts. The first appeal, Cavendish Square Holding BV v Talal El Makdessi, raised the issue in relation to two clauses in a substantial commercial contract. The second appeal, ParkingEye Ltd v Beavis, raised the issue at a consumer level, with a separate issue under the … Continue reading Cavendish Square Holding Bv v Talal El Makdessi; ParkingEye Ltd v Beavis: SC 4 Nov 2015
EAT TRANSFER OF UNDERTAKINGS – Insolvency RIGHTS ON INSOLVENCY Two short questions of construction arise in an employer insolvency context concerning rights of employees to arrears of pay under Part XII ERA 1996. The first is whether a claim for equal pay arrears is a claim for ‘arrears of pay’, and in circumstances where the … Continue reading Graysons Restaurants Ltd v Jones and Others: EAT 7 Nov 2017
EAT PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE – Amendment Although the Claimant had apparently considered he might have been subjected to detriment and subsequently dismissed for making protected disclosures, when he lodged his ET claim he did not include such a claim but made complaints of unfair dismissal (under section 98 Employment Rights Act 1996) and unlawful race … Continue reading A B Conteh v First Security (Guards) Ltd: EAT 11 Sep 2017
EAT UNFAIR DISMISSAL – Reason for dismissal including substantial other reason UNFAIR DISMISSAL – Reasonableness of dismissal PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE – Withdrawal The Employment Judge erred in holding that the employer was correct to consider that it was obliged by section 15 of the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 to hold that it was … Continue reading Baker v Abellio London Ltd: EAT 5 Oct 2017
EAT Unfair Dismissal : Dismissal : Ambiguous Resignation – PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE – Application/claim – Amendment – Appellate jurisdiction/reasons/Burns-Barke – Unfair dismissal – dismissal – fixed-term employee – Practice and procedure – claim – application to amend – whether raised below – appellate jurisdiction – The Claimant, not legally trained and acting in person (assisted … Continue reading Ministry of Defence v Dixon: EAT 4 Oct 2017
EAT TRANSFER OF UNDERTAKINGS – Varying terms of employment TRANSFER OF UNDERTAKINGS – Dismissal/automatically unfair dismissal REDUNDANCY – Definition Within the Xerox group of companies the work of a Finance Accounting Team was transferred from a UK company in Wakefield to a Philippines company and then taken offshore to Manila. It was agreed that there … Continue reading Xerox Business Services Philippines Inc Ltd v Zeb (Transfer of Undertakings): EAT 24 Jul 2017
EAT Jurisdictional Points : Working Outside The Jurisdiction – The Claimant was a UK appointed employee of the British Council, the Respondent, working abroad; he was ‘truly expatriate’ and he was not a civil servant. He was, however, employed under a contract of employment which expressly incorporated English law, entitled him to a Civil Service … Continue reading Jeffery v The British Council: EAT 25 Aug 2016
EAT Unfair DismissL – Reinstatement/re-engagement – UNFAIR DISMISSAL – Compensation The amount of a week’s pay for the purposes of calculating in accordance with Employment Rights Act 1996 section 124(1ZA)(b) the upper limit of compensation which may be awarded under section 123, applying section 221(2), is the amount of remuneration payable under the contract of … Continue reading University of Sunderland v Drossou (Unfair Dismissal): EAT 13 Jun 2017