Claire Grieg v Broadbridge Heath Village Centre Social Club (in its representative capacity for the management committee members) — 2025

Claire Grieg worked for Broadbridge Heath Village Centre Social Club from 1 September 2002 as a barmaid until she was made redundant on 31 December 2023. She was told about the redundancy on 26 November 2023 and asked about a redundancy payment. She was told the club would cease trading on 31 December 2023 and that it did not have the resources to pay staff redundancy payments, and that she would receive her redundancy payment from the government.

After the club closed, the claimant had no further communication from it. She contacted ACAS and was advised to write to the club requesting her redundancy monies, which she did on 15 April 2024, but there was no response. She then brought an employment tribunal claim after obtaining an ACAS early conciliation certificate dated 28 May 2024 and presenting her claim on 3 June 2024. Because she did not have the management committee members' details, she brought the claim against the social club itself, and the tribunal permitted that course as a representative respondent.

The tribunal noted that the respondent was an unincorporated association and therefore not a legal entity. It said the correct respondents were the management committee members at the relevant time, but that their liability would likely be very small, probably around £1, and that it would be of little value to pursue them directly. The claimant said she intended to apply to the National Insurance Fund for her statutory redundancy pay, and the tribunal therefore allowed the action to proceed in the club's name.

On the calculation, the tribunal found that at the time of redundancy the claimant was 57 years old, had worked for the respondent for over 21 years, and had an average gross weekly pay of £250.68. Using the government's on-line calculator, the tribunal found that the statutory redundancy payment due was £7,019.04 and ordered the respondent to pay that sum.