Employment law stories in the news – 26.02.2018 to 04.03.2018

In the latest of our series of posts on employment law stories in the news we examine ten employment law-related stories which made headlines between 26 February 2018 and 4 March 2018

  1. BA employee with eye condition wins unfair dismissal claim – A British Airways logistics agent has been awarded a £19,000 pay-out, after an employment tribunal found he was unfairly dismissed following a period of sickness absence (Personnel Today)
  2. Recycling company fined after explosion – A Sussex-based recycling company has been fined following an explosion and fire at their site in Surrey which left a worker in an induced coma. Portsmouth Crown Court heard how a massive explosion occurred at Ereco EMEA Corporation Ltd site on 3 October 2011 at Hobbs Industrial Estate, Lingfield, Surrey, following the storage of print toner on site (HSE)
  3. Teacher at elite nursery who lied over assault loses job fight – A teacher was employed at an elite £10,000-a-year nursery for nearly six years despite having convictions for assault and grievous bodily harm (The Express)
  4. Accountant ‘who put his hand up the skirt’ of a female colleague dressed as Elvis at a fancy dress party launches £5m lawsuit against his PwC bosses for ‘forcing him out’ – An accountant accused of sexually assaulting a colleague at a fancy-dress party claims he is a victim of age and race discrimination. The man was dressed as a lumberjack when he allegedly put his hand up the skirt of a woman in an Elvis Presley costume and touched her bottom (The Daily Mail)
  5. GMC taken to employment tribunal for alleged racial discrimination – A senior consultant gynaecologist is suing the GMC for racial discrimination at an employment tribunal. Joseph Onwude was struck off the medical register by the GMC but says he was ‘vindicated’ by a High Court ruling (Pulse Today)
  6. Former Intercity staff wins appeal against £290,000 court damages for contract breach – Sanjay Solanki resigned but was sued for allegedly downloading customer information. Former Intercity Technology account manager Sanjay Solanki has won an appeal against having to pay a massive £290,009 damages and legal fees for alleged breach of contract (Mobile News)
  7. Citizens Advice bureau must pay ex-employee almost £24,000 – Watford Employment Tribunal ruled that Citizens Advice Haringey unfairly dismissed Vass Charalambous in 2016 after she suffered a number or medical conditions (Third Sector)
  8. Sacked triple tragedy worker wins £30,000 compensation – A Dundee factory worker who was sacked after being signed off with stress following a triple tragedy has been awarded almost £30,000 compensation. A tribunal said Stan Reid’s dismissal by Michelin was “egregiously unfair” (BBC)
  9. Employee who was ‘hammered’ at work event was unfairly dismissed, tribunal finds – A former cancer charity employee who was intoxicated at a work event, according to her employer, was unfairly dismissed, an employment tribunal has ruled. In a tribunal judgment published on 26 February 2018, CALLplus’ investigative procedures into Mrs Frodsham’s conduct were found to be defective, resulting in “unsubstantiated” conclusions (People Management)
  10. Air cargo baggage handling company fined following two incidents at Luton Airport – Airport baggage and cargo handler Swissport GB Limited has been fined following two accidents at Luton Airport in 2015 (HSE)