Winning Employment Law Cases In Eastbourne
Our Eastbourne office opened at the end of April and this month I was pleased to conclude my first Eastbourne Employment Tribunal claim.
I acted for an employee who had been unfairly dismissed from one of Eastbourne’s seafront hotels for taking an early cigarette break – except that she was smoking an electronic cigarette rather than a real cigarette. There was also a dispute as to whether she was on an authorised break or not. The employee’s line manager summoned her to the office and dismissed her on the spot, without notice.
I believed it was an open and shut case for unfair dismissal and wrongful dismissal. However, the employer defended this case until the day before the Hearing when they finally took legal advice from a barrister.
Although their representative was keen to settle, they wanted to pay as little as possible. I stood my ground and not only did I manage to negotiate a sum of money which was more than the wages that my client had lost due to being sacked, but a further sum of money which more than covered her potential future loss of earnings. This was almost double the original sum offered.
I also made sure that a reference was included as part of the settlement terms, enabling my client to secure a new job just days after the settlement had been reached.
As a resident of Eastbourne and a specialist employment lawyer, I am keen to make sure that local people and employers are equipped with the necessary employment law advice to fight for their rights or to protect their business.
Anyone needing employment law advice in Eastbourne should contact matthew@ms-solicitors.co.uk or telephone our Eastbourne Office on 01323 649151. I am happy to discuss your situation, identify how I may be able to assist, give clear and affordable costs estimates in advance, and arrange a meeting at our office in Hyde Gardens.
