Employment law cases in the news – 06.06.2016 to 12.06.2016
In the latest of our series of posts on employment law cases in the news, we take a look at ten employment law cases that made the news between 6 June and 12 June 2016
- Worker sacked over claims he refused to speak English – A car worker from Birmingham has taken legal action after alleging he was sacked for snubbing a company email ordering staff to speak English. Raj Rangla, who speaks fluent English and Punjabi, claims he was given his marching orders for failing to co-operate with the edict from Trust Group UK, based in Aston (ITV)
- Eva Carneiro settles constructive dismissal claim with Chelsea – The former Chelsea team doctor Eva Carneiro has settled her claim of constructive dismissal, minutes before she was due to give testimony that was expected to be highly damaging. Carneiro also agreed to drop a claim of sex discrimination and harassment against the former Chelsea manager José Mourinho as part of the confidential deal struck on Tuesday (The Guardian)
- Company fined £250,000 for safety failings – A coach company in Wrexham has been fined £250,000 after it repeatedly failed to comply with legal notices to get its lifting equipment examined. Wrexham Magistrates’ Court heard that, between 4 April 2014 and 28 August 2015, GHA Coaches Limited failed to have its lifting equipment thoroughly examined within the required timescales to ensure that health and safety conditions were maintained and that any deterioration could be detected and remedied in good time (HSE)
- Leeds United: Cellino abandons plan to appear at Lucy Ward tribunal hearing – Leeds United owner Massimo Cellino this morning abandoned his plan to appear a the tribunal hearing of his former Academy and welfare officer. Cellino blamed media attention for his decision not to give oral evidence at the hearing where Lucy Ward is expected to hear details of a compensation settlement after winning a claim for sex discrimination and unfair dismissal (The Yorkshire Evening Post)
- Woman police chief tried to punish a chief inspector for his ‘macho culture’ after objecting to male staff walking around in just a towel, tribunal finds – A senior woman police officer who objected to a male colleague walking around wearing just a towel tried to punish a chief inspector because of his unit’s ‘macho culture’, it was claimed. An employment tribunal found that Chief Inspector Adrian Denby was unfairly punished for failings, while a female colleague in a similar position was not (The Mail Online)
- Corby man sacked for ‘weightlifting in work time’ loses tribunal hearing – A Corby former area manager complained he was unfairly sacked by his firm after denying visits to a weightlifting gym affected his “availability for work”. Keen weightlifter Antony Price, of Priors Hall Park, had been employed as an area manager for five years by Kelly Communications Ltd, which has numerous branches in the UK (The Northants Telegraph)
- Social worker was unfairly dismissed by Norfolk County Council, employment tribunal decides – An employment tribunal has found Norfolk County Council unfairly dismissed a senior social worker following an “entire process” that was flawed. Peter Barron was suspended in December 2014, and, following an independent investigation and disciplinary hearing, dismissed in March 2015 (EDP24)
- Firm fined for safety failings at property development – A company based in Cardiff has been fined for safety failings during a property development. Pontypridd Magistrates’ Court heard Ziman Trading Limited, formerly Ziman Investments Limited (Ziman), was acting as the principal contractor at the property development of the former New York Hotel, York Street, Porth (HSE)
- Dismissed worker argued racist term was “street talk” – In Mann v NSL Ltd, the employment tribunal held that an employer fairly dismissed an employee for using a racist term in the workplace (Xpert HR)
- Huge repercussions loom in employment status case – The outcome of an upcoming case could have significant financial consequences for construction businesses. The outcome of a Court of Appeal case will examine whether a London-based plumbing company is entitled to classify its contractors as self-employed (Construction News)