Mr S Slater v Jaguar Land Rover Limited — 2020

The preliminary hearing determined the effective date of termination and whether time should be extended. The claimant said dismissal took effect when the dismissal letter was emailed to him on 15 March 2019. The respondent said the dismissal letter was hand-delivered to his home on 11 December 2018. The Tribunal preferred the respondent's account and found that the letter was delivered through the claimant's letterbox on the evening of 11 December 2018, giving him a reasonable opportunity to learn of his dismissal.

For the unfair dismissal and breach of contract claims, the Tribunal accepted that the claimant was very depressed and anxious during the relevant period, but found that he had access to assistance from a legally qualified friend, his union, his wife, and online research. It found the medical evidence did not establish that he was unable to deal with bringing a claim, and held that it was reasonably practicable for those complaints to have been presented in time.

For the disability discrimination complaints, the Tribunal considered whether it was just and equitable to extend time. It found the delay was significant, that the reason for the delay was the claimant's decision to ignore or not act on the dismissal letter, and that although the delay had not affected the cogency of the evidence, the surrounding circumstances did not justify an extension. The discrimination complaints were dismissed.