Employment law cases in the news – 31.08.2015 to 06.09.2015

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 31 August and 6 September 2015

  1. Gay clergyman faces wait for ruling in discrimination case – A gay clergyman may have to wait until next year to find out whether a decision to remove his right to officiate after he married another man was discriminatory. Canon Jeremy Pemberton, who married Laurence Cunnington last April, was told a job offer as a chaplain for Sherwood Forest Hospitals Trust was being withdrawn (BT News)
  2. Wiring manufacturer in court for worker injuries – A wiring manufacturer has been fined after a worker was seriously injured when he was caught in machinery at their site in Doncaster. Doncaster Magistrates’ Court heard how on the July 2014 an operator was cleaning the base track of an unguarded automatic palletising line when the reel loading arm activated. It caught the operator at waist level crushing him onto the empty pallet causing serious injury to his pelvis (HSE)
  3. Snooker ref Michaela Tabb in sexism claim against governing body – A top female snooker referee has launched a legal action against the sport’s governing body, claiming sexual discrimination, unfair dismissal and breach of contract (Western Daily Press)
  4. Lloyds sued for unfair dismissal over Libor sacking – Lloyds Banking Group is being sued for unfair dismissal by a former employee who was sacked following the Libor-rigging scandal. Andrew Reed, who was responsible for entering Lloyds’ yen Libor submissions, will take his case to a London employment tribunal on September 16 (The Telegraph)
  5. Rebekah Brooks’ ex-security boss vows to ‘blow whistle’ – The former head of security for Rebekah Brooks has said he will blow the whistle on Rupert Murdoch’s UK newspapers, the day after it was confirmed she had been re-hired as chief executive of News UK (The Guardian)
  6. Ex-foreman suffered “years of hell” after bosses’ lies landed him in court – A former coal mine foreman has told how he faced “four and a half years of hell” after being prosecuted and sacked because bosses lied about his involvement in an environmental incident. Stephen Russell was blamed for dirty water from the mine polluting a nearby river, but was acquitted earlier this year when a sheriff found his manager had lied about the breach (Herald Scotland)
  7. Hartlepool Sixth Form lecturer was unfairly dismissed, tribunal finds – A Hartlepool college lecturer was unfairly dismissed from her job, a tribunal has found. Sue Houchen, former head of law at Hartlepool Sixth Form College, resigned last year after taking sick leave due to work-related stress and depression (The Hartlepool Mail)
  8. Former finance director Liz Wilkinson accused of bullying colleagues, employment tribunal – Bournemouth Borough Council’s former finance director told a childless employee to go out and sleep with a man, it was alleged at an employment tribunal yesterday (Bournemouth Echo)
  9. Cail Bruich chef wins payout after being sacked by text message – A chef whose boss sacked him via text message after he questioned his rate of pay has been awarded more than £15,000 at an employment tribunal (Herald Scotland)
  10. London Zoo love rivals in vicious fight over llama keeper – Two female keepers at London Zoo became embroiled in a vicious catfight over the llama keeper who ditched one and dated the other. Caroline Westlake, who tended the meerkats, was sacked after hitting her love rival in the face with a glass that sliced open her cheek at London Zoo’s Christmas party (The Telegraph)