Mrs Y Slaven v Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust — 2019

This was a Stage 2 equal value hearing in the claimant's equal pay claim. The claimant, employed from 13 October 1975 to 23 September 2011 as Cardiac Investigations and Cardiology Administration Services Manager, compared herself with the respondent's Chief Clinical Respiratory Physiologist and Chief Clinical Perfusion Scientist. The reference period ran from 21 December 2005 to 21 December 2011, but because the claimant was absent from work from August 2009 onwards the tribunal's answers were given in respect of the period up to August 2009.

The parties had each completed lengthy job description documents on a pro forma prepared by the ACAS-appointed independent expert Mr Steve Flather. The respondent prepared a statement of disagreement and a Scott Schedule was produced setting out the disputed items in tabular form. The tribunal determined each disputed factual item by recording 'C' or 'R' in the final column of the Scott Schedule, indicating whether the claimant's or the respondent's contentions were preferred, with brief additional words where considered necessary.

The tribunal accepted Mr Boyd's framing that the disputed items could broadly be considered under three headings: clinical work, education/training, and whether the claimant had sole responsibility for certain aspects of her role. The tribunal stated it was not proportionate to give a reasoned judgment for each disputed item in the lengthy schedule; instead the determinations are set out in the Scott Schedule appended to the judgment.