Employment cases in the news – 06.02.2017 to 12.02.2017

In the latest of our series of posts on employment cases in the news, we take a look at eight employment cases that have made headlines between 6 February and 12 February 2017

  1. Teenage trainee nursery nurse who was sacked on maternity leave wins employment tribunal – A woman who received her P45 in the post the day before she was due to be medically induced to give birth has won more than £6,000 at an employment tribunal (Herald Scotland)
  2. Pimlico Plumbers loses appeal against self-employed status – Pimlico Plumbers has lost a court battle over the status of its workers, in the latest legal ruling on employment status in the gig economy. It came as the government released a report warning that “unscrupulous” employers were in a position to exploit low-paid and low-skilled workers (The Guardian)
  3. Butchers fined after worker suffers hand injuries – A butchers has been fined after a worker suffered deep lacerations to one his hands when working. Bristol Magistrates Court heard how the worker was cutting beef bones on a band saw at the time of the incident when he suffered deep lacerations to his left hand (HSE)
  4. Prison guards are sacked over inmate’s soapy escape bid: Prisoner slipped handcuffs off before going on the run for 90 minutes during hospital visit – Two prison officers have been sacked after an inmate used soap to slip his handcuffs off and escape while being treated in hospital. Anjit Uppal and Clive Kieff took the prisoner to hospital after he risked death by hanging in his jail cell as part of an audacious jailbreak plan (The Mail Online)
  5. Building Contractor fined after workers fatal fall – A Manchester building contractor has been jailed following the death of a casual labourer who fell nearly seven metres through a fragile roof. The 45-year-old labourer from Manchester had been carrying out repair work at Witney Mill, Manchester when the incident occurred on 23 November 2013 (HSE)
  6. Look East journalist Sally Chidzoy takes BBC to employment tribunal for harassment, victimisation and sex discrimination – One of the BBC’s most high profile journalists in East Anglia alleges she was pursued by bosses at the corporation after raising concerns about her manager’s links to a charity funded by the Chinese government (EDP24)
  7. ‘Bullied’ Hull City Council employee Paul Bartle has unfair dismissal claim rejected – A former social services manager who claimed he was bullied by his female boss for ten years has lost his claim for constructive dismissal. Ex-adult social service safeguarding manager Paul Bartle took his case against Hull City Council to an employment tribunal last week (Hull Daily Mail)
  8. Unmarried woman wins pension battle – A woman whose long-term partner died has won a legal battle that is likely to improve the pension rights of unmarried couples in the public sector. Denise Brewster, who was denied payments from her late partner’s occupational pension, argued that she was the victim of “serious discrimination” (BBC)