A family-run business made the classic mistake of having one person act as "judge, jury and executioner" in a disciplinary procedure against an employee accused of misconduct.
In this case, the employment tribunal found that an employee who breached her employer's inducements, gifts and favours policy was fairly dismissed. The case is a good example of circumstances that might be covered by the Bribery Act 2010 when it comes into force in April 2011.
This case serves as a warning to employers always to calculate redundancy selection scores carefully, as mistakes can render a dismissal unfair even if they are identified only after the employee's appeal.
A dismissal where the reason (or the principal reason) is an employee's jury service will be automatically unfair, regardless of the employee's length of service, as this case demonstrates.