Case 6005664/2025 · Employment Tribunal
Mr Lee Hudson v WH Smith plc PRELIMINARY HEARING — 2026
- Case reference
- 6005664/2025
- Decision date
- 22 January 2026
- Jurisdiction
- England & Wales
- Judge
- Employment Judge Midgley Representation
Parties
2 namedClaimant
Mr Lee Hudson
Respondent
Key findings
Tribunal's reasoningThe claimant brought claims related to his employment by WH Smith Retail Holdings Ltd, but the named respondent was WH Smith plc. At the preliminary hearing, he clarified that he was pursuing disability discrimination claims relying on PTSD, anxiety and depression, including discrimination arising from disability, failure to make reasonable adjustments and harassment. He confirmed that he was not pursuing religion or belief discrimination.
The tribunal found that the claims related to events in 2018 and 2019 and were presented significantly out of time on 20 February 2025. The claimant accepted that the claims were out of time and that he knew of his right to bring a tribunal claim and the applicable time limits.
The tribunal concluded that the claimant had no reasonable prospect of showing either that the claims were in time or that it would be just and equitable to extend time by approximately four years. It considered the length of delay, likely prejudice to the respondent and the claimant's lack of explanation for the further delay, and struck out the claim under rule 38.
Claims and outcomes
2 findings recorded| Claim type | Issue or finding | Outcome | Protected characteristic | Award |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Disability discrimination | The claimant clarified that the disability discrimination allegations were discrimination arising from disability and failure to make reasonable adjustments. The tribunal struck out the claim because it had no reasonable prospect of showing it was presented in time or that it would be just and equitable to extend time. | Struck out | Disability | — |
| Harassment | The claimant clarified that harassment was one of the legal claims pursued. It was struck out with the rest of the claim on limitation grounds. | Struck out | Disability | — |
Legal tests applied
2 references- rule 38
- just and equitable extension of time
Official outcome judgment PDF
Gov.uk primary recordThe official judgment PDF on gov.uk contains the tribunal's outcome, reasoning, and any remedy details. Where this page does not yet show extracted outcomes for every claim, use the PDF as the authoritative source.
Published on gov.uk under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
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