Employment law cases in the news – 24.08.2015 to 30.08.2015

redmans-blog-newsIn the latest of our series of posts on employment law cases in the news, we take a look at seven employment law cases that have made the news between 24 August and 30 August 2015

  1. Police settle on out of court fee in lawsuit over discrimination – Thames Valley Police has reached an out-of-court settlement with a former “whistleblower” employee after she sued the force for discrimination. Representatives of the force appeared before Judge Andrew Gumbiti-Zimuto at an employment tribunal after the claimant accused her former employers of disability and sexual discrimination (The Oxford Mail)
  2. Coatings firm in court for legionella failings – An international engineering firm, which refurbishes turbine blades, has been fined for failing to manage the risk to public and employees to potentially fatal legionella bacteria (HSE)
  3. Bus driver fired after taking hands off wheel to use his iPad – A bus driver for a private coach operator was sacked after using his iPad while driving his bus at 100kmph on a motorway. CCTV cameras on the Aircoach recorded driver Sean Purcell take his two hands off the steering wheel to take out his iPad (The Independent.ie)
  4. Ex-Currency Trader Sues HSBC as Unfair Dismissal Suits Grow – Former HSBC Holdings Plc foreign-exchange trader Serge Sarramegna sued the bank after he was dismissed amid a global probe into currency rigging, adding to a host of claims that have emerged from the investigation (Bloomberg)
  5. Paulamar Company fined over worker injuries – A manufacturer of foam plastics and rubber materials was sentenced today after admitting safety failing leading to a teenage worker being permanently disfigured (HSE)
  6. Policeman brings tribunal claim after losing post due to hearing impairment – A police marksman has taken two police forces to an employment tribunal after being removed from his post after he failed a hearing test. Bruce Shields had worked as a firearms officer with partial hearing for 16 years and took Surrey and Sussex Police to a tribunal, claiming that being stripped of his title had been unfair and discriminatory on account of his disability (Personnel Today)
  7. Deeside man fined over safety breaches – A contractor was today fined after admitting unsafe work at height practices and insurance breaches. James Young trading as Watertight Home Improvements today pleaded guilty at Chester Magistrates’ Court after an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE)