Employment law stories in the news – 04.08.2014 to 10.08.2014

MoJIn the latest of our series of posts on employment law stories in the news this week, we take a look at ten employment law stories that have made the news between 4 August and 10 August 2014.

  1. Church faces legal challenge after blocking job offer to married gay priest – The first priest to marry his same-sex partner is to issue a legal challenge to the Church of England after his offer of a job as an NHS chaplain was withdrawn when his bishop refused the necessary permission (The Guardian)
  2. UK gov needs to “think again” on tribunal fees – The SNP has today welcomed comments from a number of employment law specialists – that have condemned the UK government’s controversial employment tribunal fees – and said that only with independence can a fairer system be delivered. One year on since the UK government’s fees imposition a special report by Lucy Adams on last night’s BBC’s Scotland 2014 uncovered the level of opposition to the reduced access to justice imposed by Westminster (SNP)
  3. Police officer in Met race and sex discrimination case hoping to be awarded £50,000 compensation – A black female police officer who was discriminated against because of her race and sex is hoping to claim nearly £50,000 in damages, a compensation hearing has heard (The Guardian)
  4. Solicitor was ‘employee’ and not partner, High Court rules – A solicitor has won a High Court battle to prove he was an employee and not a partner at a firm subject to legal action. The High Court (Chancery Division) ruled that Clive Prior, formerly head of the property department at London practice Needleman Treon, should not be included in a claim against the firm (The Law Society Gazette)
  5. Nigel Gibbs walks out on Leeds Utd as legal battle looms – Leeds United are heading for a legal battle with former assistant manager Nigel Gibbs after the 48-year-old quit Elland Road in protest at his “treatment by the club.” Gibbs is preparing to sue Leeds for breach of contract and constructive dismissal following his sudden departure from the coaching staff. (The Yorkshire Post)
  6. Sacked BBC technology chief wins unfair dismissal case – The BBC’s former chief technology officer John Linwood, who was sacked in the wake of the £100m Digital Media Initiative fiasco, has won his unfair dismissal claim against the corporation. Linwood took legal action against the BBC after his contract was terminated in July last year following the failure of the DMI technology project which was scrapped by BBC director general, Tony Hall (The Guardian)
  7. High court throws out ‘incredible’ £6m bonus claim by ex-Investec traders – Two former Investec traders lost a three-year, £6m battle over their bonuses on Wednesday in a case described by a London high court judge as fanciful and “wholly incredible” (The Guardian)
  8. Industrial gas supplier fined after plant explosion leaves worker injured – A multinational industrial gas supplier based in Surrey has been fined after an explosion at one of its manufacturing plants in Bristol left a worker with life changing injuries (HSE)
  9. Key holiday pay case settles out of court – WSB understands that a key tribunal case expected to decide whether voluntary overtime should be included in holiday pay has been settled out of court (WSB)
  10. Widowed mother-of-two wins £30,000 after her boss groped her, called her ‘proper top totty’ after she had breast enlargement and sacked her after his wife accused them of having affair – A widowed mother of two has won a £30,000 payout after her boss groped her and made lewd comments about her in front of clients. Jennifer Newman, 34, was called ‘proper top totty’ by Steve Hoad and described as dressing like ‘someone who works in a dubious establishment’ (Daily Mail)