Miss R Begum v Boots Opticians Recruitment Team — 2021

Miss R Begum brought complaints of unfair dismissal and breach of contract against Boots Opticians Recruitment Team. The tribunal struck out the claim. It recorded that section 108 of the Employment Rights Act 1996 requires two years' service for an unfair dismissal complaint, and found that the claimant had been employed for less than two years, so she was not entitled to pursue that complaint.

On the breach of contract complaint, the tribunal referred to article 3(c) of the Employment Tribunals Extension of Jurisdiction Order 1994 and found that there was no contract of employment in existence on termination from which the claim could have arisen. It also noted that the claimant had already been paid the equivalent of one week's notice. The tribunal said the claimant had not given an acceptable reason, despite being invited to do so by letter dated 13 October 2021, why the complaints should not be struck out, had not responded to the tribunal's letter dated 29 October 2021, and that the claim was not being actively pursued.