Ms M Musasa v Care Connect Cheshire Ltd — 2025

Ms M Musasa worked as a care assistant for Care Connect Cheshire Ltd from 11 September 2023 to 26 July 2024. Her unlawful deduction claim covered four main matters: bank holiday pay, sponsorship-related deductions, deductions under a car purchase agreement, and alleged underpayment for travel time between appointments. The tribunal found that the April 2024 bank holiday addition of £1.58 per hour brought the day-shift rate up to £13.65, which it accepted was the correct rate for bank holiday hours under the contract, and it therefore rejected any underpayment on that basis.

The tribunal found that the initial terms of employment allowed deductions for costs associated with employment, including the certificate of sponsorship, visa and related charges, and that the claimant had signed both the initial terms and a deductions from pay agreement. It also found that the car purchase agreement, signed on 15 September 2023, authorised monthly deductions and permitted deduction of any outstanding balance from final wages if employment ended before the purchase price had been repaid. The tribunal accepted the respondent’s evidence that the claimant had been told she needed to purchase a car for the role, and it held that the deductions made towards the car and the final balance were not unlawful.

On travel time, the tribunal found that the claimant worked split shifts amounting to 10 hours each day and that travel between appointments was incorporated into that working day. It accepted that the claimant was paid for that time and concluded that there had been no unlawful deduction from wages. As to holiday pay, the tribunal found that the holiday year ran from 1 July to 30 June, that the claimant had accrued 19 days by 28 June 2024, but that the contract did not provide for carry-over. It further found that by the time her employment ended on 26 July 2024 she had taken annual leave between 24 and 26 July, so there was no unpaid accrued leave due on termination.