Employment law stories in the news – 09.10.2017 to 15.10.2017

In the latest of our series of posts on employment law stories in the news, we take a look at ten employment law stories that made headlines between 9 October and 15 October 2017

  1. Lewd antics of magistrate who dropped his trousers in front of a woman colleague… and won £15,000 payout for unfair dismissal – A factory worker has won £15,000 after being unfairly dismissed for dropping his trousers and simulating sex with a table in front of a younger woman colleague (The Daily Mail)
  2. Thousands of employees sue Morrisons for data leak – Thousands of supermarket staff should be compensated for the “upset and distress” caused by their personal details being posted on the internet, the High Court has been told (The Times)
  3. Royal Mail halts 48-hour strike after obtaining high court injunction – Royal Mail has halted Britain’s first planned national walkout by postal workers since it was privatised, after successfully applying for a high court injunction (The Guardian)
  4. King of Ghana handed £350,000 in cash to British bank official who was then sacked from his job for ‘money laundering’ – A top banking executive was fired from his job and investigated by the National Crime Agency after he deposited £350,000 in cash handed to him by the King of Ghana (The Daily Mail)
  5. Lecturer made redundant amid role confusion wins £55,000 – A former college lecturer who was dismissed after her employer said it no longer needed somebody in the role she was originally hired for has won £55,000 (CIPD)
  6. Courier boss ‘shocked’ at firm’s treatment of gig economy workers – A boss at courier firm Hermes has apologised to MPs over a case in which a driver’s contract was cancelled because he was unable to work due to the premature birth of a child (The Times and Star)
  7. Foster carer fights for workers’ rights – A foster carer is launching a legal claim to argue for workers’ rights for people in her role. Sarah Anderson is used by Hampshire County Council but does not have the rights of a “worker”, such as holiday pay or discrimination protection (BBC)
  8. Sex discrimination: female chef excluded from working at all-male barbecue – An employment tribunal held that a female chef was discriminated against when she was rejected for extra work at a private event on the basis of her gender (Personnel  Today)
  9. Construction firm fined after worker fell from height – West Hill Projects Ltd has been fined more than £95,000 after a worker fell from height. Hammersmith Magistrates’ Court heard that on 5 December 2016 the individual was working next to a large opening in a flat roof on Wandle Road in London (HSE)
  10. Trainer who ‘humped table in office’ wins £15,000 at tribunal – A man who was accused of ‘humping’ a table in front of colleagues has won £15,000 at an employment tribunal after bringing a claim against his dismissal (CIPD)