Mrs Rubi Gonzalez v Fabskills Limited — 2024

Regional Employment Judge Foxwell heard the case at Watford by video on 7 August 2024. The claimant appeared in person, assisted by her husband; the respondent had not entered a response and did not attend. On the claimant's evidence, which the judge accepted, she was employed by Fabskills Limited from 29 December 2022 to 4 April 2023, when she was dismissed without notice with nothing to suggest the respondent was entitled to do so.

The tribunal found the claimant worked but was not paid for 32 hours in the first week of April 2023, had accrued 68 hours of holiday pay at the date of dismissal, and was entitled to a 3% auto-enrolment pension contribution that had not been paid. The judge accepted her hourly rate of £11.45 gross and a 40-hour contracted week, and awarded gross sums of £458 notice pay, £366.40 arrears of pay, £778.60 holiday pay and £156 pension contributions, totalling £1,759.

The claim for compensation for injury to feelings and emotional distress was dismissed on the basis that the tribunal had no power to make such an award, following Dunnachie v Kingston upon Hull City Council [2004] UKHL 36.