No attendance For the v Ms Ryan, solicitor — 2024

The claimant had been employed by Royal Mail Group Limited as a Christmas seasonal worker from 6 November 2023 to 4 December 2023. The judge recorded that the claims were in time and that a case management hearing on 18 June 2024 had not produced clear progress because the claimant did not provide the further information ordered, including a list of issues and confirmation of any amendment application. The reasons identify claims framed as age, race and sex discrimination, victimisation, relationship status discrimination, sexual harassment, arrears of pay, Working Time Regulations breaches, and breaches of the Health and Safety at Work Act.

At the hearing on 5 November 2024 the claimant initially attended but left after issues at security and did not return. The tribunal sent a Rule 47 warning letter, waited until 11.00, and then considered the options under the rules. The respondent attended and opposed postponement, noting the lack of progress and the claimant's non-compliance with earlier orders. The judge dismissed the entirety of the claimant's claims under Rule 47 because she had failed to attend or be represented.

The judge also made a preliminary assessment of the merits, noting that most allegations arising during the claimant's short employment appeared unlikely to succeed and that the most likely explanation for management conduct was the claimant's own conduct rather than age, marital status, race, or sex. The judge said the allegation that a colleague 'chatted' the claimant up, and possibly any working-time or health-and-safety related detriment or dismissal allegation, were the only matters that might have been arguable, but no merits determination was made because the proceedings ended on non-attendance.