CASE REF: 2008/01
APPLICANT: Eric Dekoninck
RESPONDENT: Café En-Seine Limited
Trading as Opus One
The unanimous decision of the tribunal is that the applicant was unfairly dismissed and is entitled to compensation of £9,633.00. Further it is ordered that the correct names of the parties are as stated above.
Appearances:
The applicant was represented by Mr M Potter, Barrister-at-Law, instructed by Brian Kelly, Solicitor.
The respondent was represented by Mr M Wolff, Barrister-at-Law, instructed by Edwards and Company, Solicitors.
The tribunal has determined to provide reasons for its decision in extended form as it considered that reasons in summary form would not sufficiently explain the grounds for its decision.
Extended Reasons.
(i) The reason for the dismissal of the applicant, and
(ii) that it is either a reason falling within Article 130 (2) of the Employment Rights (Northern Ireland) Order 1996 or some other substantial reason of a kind such as to justify the dismissal of an employee holding the position which the employee held.
Article 130 (2) gives four specific substantial reasons of a kind such as to justify the dismissal of an employee. In this case the respondent admitted that there was a dismissal. Although they stated no reason on the Notice of Appearance lodged with the Office of the Industrial Tribunals and Fair Employment Tribunal they asserted at the commencement of the hearing that the reason for the dismissal was the applicant's misconduct and poor performance in the months following the issue of a final written warning in December 2000 culminating in an incident on the evening of the 2 February 2001 when the applicant allowed the kitchen to be understaffed. The respondent contended to the tribunal that it was a reason falling within Section 130 (2)(b) of the 1996 Order namely a reason relating to the conduct of the applicant
Basic Award
The effective date of termination was 9 February 2001. The applicant was aged 39 at the time of his dismissal. He had 2 year's service with the respondent, from October 1998 until 9 February 2001. The applicant is entitled to one weeks gross pay (subject to the statutory maximum of £230 gross per week) for each compete year of service in which he was between the age of 22 and 41.
The applicant's basic award is therefore calculated as follows
Two weeks @ £230 .00
£460.00
"just and equitable, in all the circumstances having regard to the loss sustained in consequence of the dismissal in so far as that loss is attributable to action taken by the employer" [Article 157 (1) of the 1996 Order].
"the emphasis is upon the tribunal awarding such compensation as it thinks "just and equitable". So I see no reason why in an appropriate case it should not include compensation for distress, humiliation, damage to reputation in the community or to family life".
"Parliament adopted the practical solution of giving the tribunal a very broad jurisdiction to award what they considered just and equitable but subject to a limit on the amount"
Compensatory Award
Loss of earnings from 9 February 2001 to 9 February 2002
52 weeks @ £400 - £20,800
less salary received
w/e 26 February 2001 – £127.06
Earnings Malone Golf Club
15 March 2001 to 9 February 2002
47 weeks @ £250.00 - £11,750
£8,923
Loss of statutory industrial rights £250
£9,173.00
Monetary Award Grand Total £9,633.00
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Date and place of hearing: 26 February 2002, 15 March 2002, 19 March 2002
and 6 June 2002, Belfast
Date decision recorded in register and issued to parties: