In person For the v Mr Reeder, Director — 2019

Ms Devere worked for Oakfields (Easton Maudit) Limited as a Catering Manager/Kitchen Manager from 27 February 2018 until her dismissal on 18 December 2018. Her unfair dismissal complaint did not proceed because she did not have sufficient continuous employment. The tribunal therefore determined claims for breach of contract/wrongful dismissal, unlawful deductions from wages, and unpaid statutory annual leave.

On the wrongful dismissal issue, the tribunal accepted that the respondent had concerns about the claimant's failure to obtain Level 3 food safety certification and about the state of the kitchen after she left early on 5 November 2018. However, it found that the meeting arranged through Mr Quilter had not been clearly communicated as disciplinary, that the claimant left because she panicked and was anxious, and that the respondent had not proved conduct amounting to a repudiatory breach. The tribunal therefore held that the dismissal was wrongful.

On the money claims, the tribunal found that the respondent had not properly dealt with the claimant's backdated sick note and annual leave in November 2018, and that it owed her additional pay where there were issues with time sheets and deductions. The tribunal recorded that all successful claims would be quantified at a separate remedy hearing in Cambridge, so no monetary sum was fixed in the merits judgment.