In person For the v Ms Saffell (solicitor) Technology: This hearing was conducted by CVP (V - video). The parties did not object. A face to face hearing was not held because it was not practicable and all the issues could be dealt with by CVP. — 2021

This was a preliminary hearing by CVP on 16 March 2021 before Employment Judge Davies. The issue was whether the Claimant’s claims of unfair dismissal and redundancy payment should be dismissed because he had not been employed by the Respondent for more than two years at the time of dismissal. The Claimant represented himself and the Respondent was represented by Ms Saffell, solicitor.

The Tribunal found that the Claimant first worked at the Respondent’s Barnsley depot as an agency worker employed by PMP Recruitment, and that he did not become an employee of the Respondent until May 2019. That finding was supported by the signed employment contract, wage slips showing payment by PMP until May 2019 and then by the Respondent, the PMP contract signed in July 2018, the application form stating he worked for PMP from 29 June 2018 to 16 April 2019, and the employee handbook given in April 2019. The Claimant initially said his employment by the Respondent began in May 2018, but after being taken through the documents he accepted that it started in May 2019.