The Lawdown Episode 37: Cleaner dismissed for eating a leftover sandwich; Mason Greenwood’s rumoured return to Manchester United; Christian Horner’s misconduct investigation at Red Bull; and a sacked Council worker wins £4.6 million in a disability discrimination claim

In our latest episode of The Lawdown, Partner Beth Hale, Partner Emma Bartlett and Associate Kia Aoki discuss the following:

1. A Cleaner was apparently dismissed by an employment agency, for eating a leftover sandwich which she believed would be discarded after a lawyer’s meeting at a city law firm. She has reportedly asserted claims  for race discrimination and unfair dismissal, which is supported by her union In light of this, we discuss the expectation of honesty between employers and employees, and the difficulties that may arise in bringing her claim.
2. There has been speculation that Mason Greenwood, a footballer for Manchester United, may return to the team following the charges of attempted rape and assault being dropped, and an investigation by club management being concluded. We discuss the issues employers may face where an employee is accused of criminal conduct, and factors employers can consider to move things forward.
3. Christian Horner has been cleared of misconduct after an investigation conducted by Red Bull, whilst the employee who accused him of inappropriate behaviour has been suspended. We discuss the grounds for suspension of an employee during an investigation, and the importance of carefully considered investigation outcomes for employers.
4. The Hammersmith and Fulham Council were ordered to pay £4.6 million after dismissing a senior employee who suffered Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) after working with Grenfell Tower fire survivors. We discuss the key features of the claim, and why the compensation awarded was larger than what is usually awarded by the Employment Tribunal.

All 37 episodes are available on various podcast platforms – please click below to listen and subscribe:

Apple Podcasts
Spotify

We hope you enjoy our latest episode! Please get in touch by emailing us at info@cm-murray.com if you would like any information on the topics discussed or if you would like to suggest a story for us to cover in a future episode.

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