Employment law cases in the news – 09.01.2017 to 15.01.2017

In the latest of our series of posts on employment law cases in the news, we examine nine employment law cases that made headlines between 9 January 2017 and 15 January 2017

  1. CitySprint courier establishes ‘worker’ status – In Dewhurst v CitySprint UK Ltd, the London Central Employment Tribunal has ruled that a bicycle courier was a ‘worker’ of the courier firm for the purposes of the Employment Rights Act 1996, despite the contractual documents describing her as a self-employed contractor (ELAweb)
  2. GMP admits mistakes as it settles case brought by senior cop who claimed she was ‘fitted up’ – A senior police officer has settled her employment tribunal case against Greater Manchester Police after the force admitted part of the investigation into her had been biased (The Manchester Evening News)
  3. Teacher wins £380,000 compensation after being sacked for showing Halloween horror slasher film to vulnerable teens – An employment tribunal has awarded more than £380,000 to a senior teacher who was sacked for showing the slasher film Halloween to vulnerable teenagers. Head of English Philip Grosset, 46, showed the 18 rated film to a group of vulnerable 15 and 16 year olds, some of whom had self harmed or talked of suicide (The Mirror)
  4. EasyJet air hostess sacked after eating £4.50 bacon sandwich given to her by manager on flight – An easyJet air hostess was sacked for eating a £4.50 bacon sandwich given to her by her manager on a flight, an employment tribunal heard. Shannon Gleeson, 22, ate the baguette because she had a nut allergy and had not been able to find safe food to eat while working abroad for the first time (The Mirror)
  5. Benefits sanctions office bosses called their own sick member of staff a ‘whinger’ who didn’t deserve treating nicely – Bosses at a benefits sanctions office described one of their own staff as a “whinger” who didn’t deserve sympathy, emails revealed. Barry Caulcutt, who is claiming disability discrimination, harassment and victimisation against the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), learned his complaints about planned changes to his role were considered “absolutely bloody nonsense” (The Daily Post)
  6. Employment Tribunal Judge: Richard Page’s case is ‘crying out to be heard’ – An Employment Tribunal Judge has described the case of Richard Page as “crying out to be heard” at a preliminary hearing today. In August 2016 an NHS panel unanimously decided that it was “not in the interests of the health service” for Mr Page to continue as a non-executive director because of his view that it was in the best interests of a child to be raised by a married mother and father (Christian Concern)
  7. Woman, 53, takes Dundee mental health charity to Tribunal – A Dundee mental health charity is being taken to a tribunal by a former employee amid claims of unfair dismissal, plus sex and disability discrimination. Christine Costello, 53, of Invergowrie, was a mental health advocacy worker with the Dundee Independent Advocacy Support (DIAS) for nearly eight years, but resigned in January last year (The Evening Telegraph)
  8. Crisp company fined for safety failings – A Northamptonshire company who manufacture crisps and snacks has been fined after an agency worker lost the tops of three fingers. Northampton Crown Court heard how an agency worker, working at Tayto Group Limited was clearing a blockage of material from a machine on the production line (HSE)
  9. Employee’s claim was not barred by terms of COT3 agreement – In Department for Work and Pensions v Brindley, the EAT has upheld an employment tribunal’s finding that an employee’s claim for disability discrimination was not barred by the terms of a COT3 agreement settling a previous claim (ELAweb)