When considering the fairness of a dismissal based on accumulated disciplinary warnings, may a tribunal look behind earlier warnings?
No, says the Employment Appeal Tribunal (“EAT”) in Wincanton Group v Stone, unless satisfied that an earlier warning was issued in bad faith or was manifestly inappropriate.
Paul Burton, Employment Solicitor, says “The Claimant, a lorry driver, was dismissed for misconduct after a serious driving accident, on the back of a written warning for different misconduct. The employment tribunal found the dismissal unfair, having considered that the Claimant challenged the earlier warning and how it arose, although that warning was found to be valid.”
The EAT overturned the finding of unfair dismissal, remitting the case for re-hearing and set out guidance for tribunals dealing with dismissals involving accumulated warnings. The overall question is the reasonableness of the employer’s act of treating conduct as a reason for dismissal and tribunals should:
• take into account the fact of an earlier warning;
• take into account any proceedings that may affect the validity of a warning (usually an internal appeal), and consider what weight the employer gave to any challenge before dismissing;
• avoid “going behind” an earlier warning by considering its validity, unless satisfied that to do so is appropriate; but
• tribunals are not “going behind” a warning by taking into account the factual circumstances that gave rise to it, e.g. considering whether the types of conduct giving rise to an earlier warning and ultimate dismissal were similar or not, and tribunals may consider the particular features of a situation, as well as the consistency of the employer’s approach.
For a free initial meeting please call 01202 499255 and Kate or Paul will be happy to discuss any questions you may have.
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