Employment tribunal stories in the news – 24.11.2014 to 30.11.2014

redmans-blog-newsIn the latest of our series of posts on employment law cases in the news, we take a look at ten employment law cases that have made the news between 24.11.2014 to 30.11.2014

  1. Workers win fight against distillery – A group of distillery workers who were warned their jobs would be subcontracted out if they did not accept a pay offer have secured a significant legal ruling at an employment appeal tribunal (Herald Scotland)
  2. Employment tribunal finds Dundee window cleaner was fairly sacked – A Dundee window cleaning boss was sacked from his previous job after being accused of overcharging pensioners then pocketing the cash. Darren Bonnella was said to have scammed the pensioners at Clement Park Place sheltered housing complex out of their money while working as a supervisor for Dundee Cleaning Services (The Courier)
  3. Sacked social care boss accused Walsall Council chief executive of corruption at tribunal – A former social care boss who was sacked from Walsall Council for allegedly disclosing confidential information has accused its chief executive of corrupt behaviour at an employment tribunal (The Express & Star)
  4. Polish Tesco worker awarded €12,000 for racial discrimination after taking a day off work – The equality tribunal has awarded a former Tesco’s employee €12,000 after he was disciplined for failing to show up to work. Tomasz Jankowski, who is from Poland, complained after receiving a final written warning in relation to the incident of non-attendance (Yahoo News)
  5. Tribunal rules contractor employee bribery claims ‘unsupported’ – An employee made unfounded allegations of bribery and corruption against a large social housing contractor in order to negotiate his exit from the company and avoid repaying a loan, a tribunal has found (Inside Housing)
  6. Aberdeen social worker wins £38,394 over unfair dismissal – An Aberdeen social worker has been handed nearly £40,000 after being unfairly dismissed by the council. Veda Golconda was awarded £38,394 in compensation and another £1,200 for fees (The Evening Express)
  7. Dairy worker sacked for Osama Bin Laden mask gag – A dairy worker was sacked after he took a ‘selfie’ photo wearing a rubber Osama bin Laden facemask at work. Robert Mazur then posted the image on his Facebook profile, an Exeter employment tribunal heard (North Devon Journal)
  8. Company fined after worker scalded – A Hartlepool-based food ingredients company has been fined after an employee was scalded by hot cleaning solution whilst working on an industrial cooking vessel. Elver Alicarte, then 38, from Hartlepool, was attempting to re-attach an end cap to pipework leading from a cooking vessel, which was being cleaned using a very hot cleaning solution (HSE)
  9. Disabled Angus woman wins £13,000 payout from DWP – A disabled Angus woman forced to lie on the floor at work to alleviate pain has won a £13,000 settlement from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) (The  Courier)
  10. Unite will not appeal overtime and holiday pay ruling – Unite will not be appealing the employment appeal tribunal (EAT) judgment ruling that overtime should be included in holiday pay calculations (W S and B)