Employment law cases in the news – 05.12.2016 to 11.12.2016

In the latest of our series of posts on employment law cases in the news, we take a look at eight employment law cases that have made headlines between 5 December 2016 and 11 December 2016

  1. Gay canon Jeremy Pemberton loses tribunal appeal – A gay clergyman who lost an employment tribunal against the church has had his appeal dismissed. Canon Jeremy Pemberton had claimed the Church of England’s stance on same-sex marriage breached equality laws (BBC)
  2. Fairground death leads to court for amusement company – A fairground company have been prosecuted after an employee was run over and killed while setting up a ride. Michael O’Brien, 45, of Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex, was killed on 27 April 2011,during the setting up of a fun fair run by Stevens Amusements Ltd at Bassetts Park, West Villa Road, Wellingborough (HSE)
  3. Council loses its legal struggle with trainee – A former trainee has won a legal battle with a North Yorkshire district council after an employment tribunal upheld his claims for unfair dismissal and breach of contract (The Yorkshire Press)
  4. Succession appeals tribunal decision in unfair dismissal case – An unfair dismissal claim against Succession will be taken to the employment appeal tribunal after the consolidator disputed the evidence used by the case against it. The case centres on claims of unfair dismissal brought by husband and wife Mike Beckwith and Lynne Rowland, who sold their business Westminster Financial Planning to Succession in 2012 (Citywire)
  5. Muslim bus driver was ‘raped by work colleague and ignored by Christian boss who told her she was westernised so wanted it’ – A female Muslim bus driver has claimed she was raped by a work colleague and then ignored by her Christian supervisor who told her she was “westernised so wanted it”. The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told an employment tribunal she was raped on numerous occasions but when she confided in a supervisor she was told not to speak out as she would be the “talk of the garage” (The Sun)
  6. ‘Unfair’ redundancy claim by ex-Boulby mine manager dismissed – Concerns over the legitimacy of a staff cutback policy have been dismissed at a mine that sustained a ‘gas blow-out which killed an employee” (The Northern Echo)
  7. Beauty therapist wins £18k after unfair dismissal from Carlisle health club – A beauty therapist who was dismissed from her job at a Carlisle health club because child care needs stopped her working weekends has won an employment tribunal payout of £18,000. Emma Holt successfully proved that she was unfairly dismissed from Bannatyne Fitness Limited (News and Star)
  8. Volvo sentenced for worker fall – The national truck, bus and plant division of Volvo has been fined £900,000 after one of their workers fell and suffered head injuries. Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard how a worker was servicing a large delivery truck and repairing the driver’s access rope for the cab when he fell, striking his head and losing consciousness (HSE)