Mr Christopher Thomas Waddell v Lead Pro Solutions Ltd — 2025

The claimant, Mr Christopher Thomas Waddell, was employed by Lead Pro Solutions Ltd as a Senior Sales and Operations Manager from 5 August 2024 on an annual salary of £45,000. He resigned on 7 September 2024 and worked his two-week notice period, finishing on 20 September 2024. The tribunal noted that an unfair dismissal claim had already been struck out by order of 2 January 2025 because the claimant had not acquired 2 years' service.

The hearing on 3 March 2025 proceeded only on the unlawful deduction from wages claim after the respondent sought a postponement the previous evening. The tribunal refused that request, noting that a materially similar postponement request had already been refused, that the respondent had filed no documents or substantive defence, and that the claimant said further delay was affecting his mental health. The respondent did not attend the hearing.

On the evidence, the tribunal found that the claimant had not been paid any wages at all. It relied on the payslip showing payment due on 2 September 2024 for £3,310.10 salary and a £2,500 bonus, the claimant's emails asking to be paid, and the respondent's email apologising for the delayed payments. The tribunal also accepted the claimant's evidence that he had never received wages and noted that the respondent filed no evidence to show payment had been made.

Applying section 27 ERA to the definition of wages, and section 13 ERA to the question of whether there had been a deduction, the tribunal held that the full gross amount properly payable had been deducted because no payment was made. It found the deduction was not authorised under section 13(1) and did not fall within any exempt deduction under section 14. The complaint of unauthorised deductions from wages was therefore well-founded, and the respondent was ordered to pay £7,386.30 gross, comprising August salary, the bonus shown on the payslip, and pay for the days worked in September 2024.