Mr Derren Cartledge v Amazon UK Services Limited — 2022

The claimant was employed as an Associate/Picker and was dismissed for gross misconduct following an incident in the respondent's car park on 22 July 2020. The respondent relied on conduct as the reason for dismissal, alleging that the claimant drove dangerously in a way that put others at serious risk.

The tribunal found that the respondent carried out a reasonable investigation. It relied on un-pixelated CCTV footage, witness statements from people identified as present, and two investigation meetings with the claimant. The tribunal rejected criticisms that the investigation was rushed or materially undermined by inconsistencies in witness evidence.

The tribunal found that the disciplinary decision-maker had reasonable grounds to conclude that the claimant drove dangerously and that the conduct could have resulted in serious injury or fatality. It also found that the respondent followed a fair and reasonable procedure, gave the claimant opportunities to respond, warned him that dismissal was possible, and considered mitigation including length of service and disciplinary record.

The tribunal concluded that dismissal fell within the range of reasonable responses. It found that the respondent acted reasonably in treating the claimant's conduct as gross misconduct and in deciding that dismissal was the appropriate sanction. The unfair dismissal claim and the outstanding holiday pay claim were dismissed.