Employment law stories in the news – 09.12.2019 to 15.12.2019

In the latest of our series of posts on employment law stories in the news we take a look at ten employment law stories that have made headlines between 9 December 2019 and 15 December 2019

  1. Ex-trainee doctor in three-year ‘malicious vendetta’ against judge – A London judge who has endured threats of an anthrax attack and his family being taken hostage in a three-year campaign of harassment has won an injunction against a former trainee doctor who has been targeting him (Evening Standard)
  2. Kitchen manager dismissed for food safety issues was discriminated against – A Beefeater kitchen manager who was dismissed for food safety failings after working excessive hours was discriminated against because of his disability, an employment tribunal has ruled (Personnel Today)
  3. Red Funnel ferry captain cleared over Solent boat crash – The captain of a car ferry that crashed with a pleasure boat has been cleared of committing two maritime offences. Ian Drummond, 63, was in charge of the 305ft Red Funnel vessel’s crossing of the Solent when it collided with the 32ft motor cruiser in September 2018 (BBC)
  4. Judge sues MoJ claiming racial discrimination – A district judge is suing the Ministry of Justice and two supervising judges for unconscious bias, harassment, victimisation, micro-aggression and discrimination after a complaint was made against him by an appellant in one of his cases (The Law Society Gazette)
  5. Mid Essex whistleblower gets £127k for unfair sacking – A nurse who was unfairly dismissed after an unblemished 28-year career has been awarded more than £127,000. Andrew Smith was sacked in 2015 by Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust after alleging staff were being bullied, not given proper breaks and not receiving a supplement to cover high living costs (BBC)
  6. Physio pursues unfair dismissal claim while fighting deportation – An NHS physiotherapist is facing a battle to remain in the UK as she awaits an employment tribunal scheduled for early next year (Personnel Today)
  7. Police launch rape inquiry into mystery ‘Mr X’ tycoon – One of Britain’s wealthiest men is under police investigation over allegations of rape and sexual assault, The Times can reveal (The Times)
  8. False expenses MP Chris Davies’s office manager suffered ‘bullying’ – A former Conservative MP’s constituency office manager was subjected to “constant bullying”, an ex-treasurer of the local party has told a tribunal (BBC)
  9. Sikh job hunter denied work because of ‘no beards’ policy wins religious discrimination case – A Sikh job hunter who was denied work because of a recruitment agency’s ‘no beards’ policy has won a religious discrimination case and been awarded more than £7,000 in compensation (People Management)
  10. Redundant former workers of reborn firm win pay battle – A total of 24 former staff members at a collapsed costs firm have the right to three months’ pay, an employment tribunal has ruled (Law Society Gazette)