Industrial Tribunals Northern Ireland Decisions

THE INDUSTRIAL TRIBUNALS

 

CASE REF:  1345/15

 

 

 

CLAIMANT:                          Claire Meaklim

 

 

RESPONDENT:                  John Slevin practising as Greene and Malpas Solicitors

 

 

 

DECISION

The respondent is ordered to pay to the claimant the sum of £1835 in respect of compensation for unfair dismissal and failure to provide written terms and conditions of employment.

 

Constitution of Tribunal:

 

Employment Judge (sitting alone):       Employment Judge McCaffrey  

 

 

Appearances:

 

The claimant appeared in person and represented herself.

 

The respondent had not entered a response and so was debarred from being heard.

 

1.         This decision is supplemental to the decision issued on 18 September 2015, when the respondent was ordered to pay the claimant sums of money in relation to arrears of pay, holiday pay and redundancy pay.

 

2.         Having heard oral evidence from the claimant, I am satisfied of the following:-

 

            (a)       the claimant was employed by the respondent for 8 complete years.  She was paid £395.00 gross, £317.71 net per week.

 

            (b)       The claimant was dismissed on 30 April 2015, when given a letter by Mr Michael Gillen, who had intervened in the respondent’s practice on the instructions of the Law Society of Northern Ireland.  The Law Society intervention closed the respondent’s practice.  There was no consultation by the respondent with the claimant and the claimant was not afforded any right of appeal.

 

            (c)        The respondent did not at any time provide the claimant with written terms and conditions of employment contrary to Articles 33 and 36 of the Employment Rights (Northern Ireland) Order 1996 and Article 27 of the Employment (Northern Ireland) Order 2003.  There had been no discussion between the parties about providing written terms and conditions.  I consider the appropriate award in this case would be 3 weeks’ gross pay.

 

            (d)       The claimant was certified as sick at the date her employment ended.  She has been in receipt of sickness benefit of £100.15 and remained certified as sick until the date of this hearing. 

 

            (e)       The respondent was not formally insolvent at the date of this hearing.

 

3.         The claimant was unfairly dismissed by the respondent in that she was automatically unfairly dismissed contrary to Article 130A of the Employment Rights (Northern Ireland) Order 1996.  The compensatory award in her favour is subject to an uplift of between 10% and 50%, as the tribunal considers just and equitable, by virtue of Article 17 of the Employment (Northern Ireland) Order 2003.  I consider that in this case, where there was no notice, consultation or appeal at all, the appropriate uplift would be 30%.

 

4.         The respondent is ordered to pay the following sums to the claimant:-

 

            Basic Award

 

            The basic award is to be set off against any redundancy payment to which the claimant is entitled, so the basic award in this case is NIL.

 

            Compensatory Award

 

            The claimant has been awarded £1737.28 in respect of notice.  Her notice period should have ended on 25 June  2015.

 

            The claimant was unfit for work from the date of dismissal until the date of the tribunal and so is not entitled to compensation for loss of earnings.

           

            Future Loss

 

            I do not consider it would be just and equitable to make an award for future loss, given the length of time between the date of dismissal and the date of this hearing.

 

            - Loss of employment rights                                                                       £500.00

           

            - Uplift on award for failure to follow statutory procedures:                  £150.00

                                                                                                                                     £650.00

 

            Failure to provide written terms and conditions of employment:

            3 weeks’ gross pay £395 x 3 = £1185                                                       £1185.00

                                                                                                                                      ______

 

            TOTAL AWARD                                                                                          £1835.00

 

            The Recoupment Regulations do not apply to this decision.

 

5.         This is a relevant decision for the purposes of the Industrial Tribunals (Interest) Order (Northern Ireland) 1990.

 

 

 

 

 

Employment Judge:

 

 

Date and place of hearing:  22 January 2016, Belfast.

 

 

Date decision recorded in register and issued to parties: