Mr S Leigh v Tank Consult Ltd — 2025

This was the second hearing the claimant failed to attend, and he gave no explanation or prior contact with the Tribunal. Judge James recorded that the claimant had also not asked for a postponement and had provided no medical evidence to explain his absence, despite the notice of hearing sent on 22 July 2025 stating that any difficulty attending a rearranged hearing would need to be supported by medical evidence and a postponement sought in advance.

The Tribunal considered whether to proceed in the claimant's absence under Rule 47 of the Employment Tribunal Procedure Rules 2024, but concluded that it was not appropriate to do so. The reasons say the hearing was arranged to clarify what the claimant's claims were about, and that this could not be done without the claimant being present. Mr Stringer, for the respondent, asked for the claim to be dismissed, and Judge James concluded that dismissal was the most just outcome in the circumstances. The judgment records that the claimant's claims were dismissed; it does not record any substantive merits findings or any monetary award.