Leicester Mercury

Boss hit worker in face and told him he was a ‘jumped up, spoilt child’

WINS CASE FOR UNFAIR DISMISSAL

- By FINVOLA DUNPHY finvola.dunphy@reachplc.com @finvoladun­phy leicesterm­ercury.co.uk

A MAN who was hit by his boss has been awarded £8,000 for unfair dismissal from the company.

Jake Rawnsley was awarded the money by a tribunal following the conflict with the owner of Queniborou­gh Aluminium Services, in Melton Road in Syston.

Employment judge Martin Brewer heard the owner called his employee a “jumped up, know-it-all, spoilt child”.

Mr Rawnsley wrote on his clocking off card: “Attacked by owner. No longer feel safe here,” the tribunal heard.

The firm said it believed the judgement was fair. In 2018, Mr Rawnsley, who had been working at the company for three years, was asked to keep the stores clean and tidy.

On October 17, 2019, a confrontat­ion ensued with the firm’s managing director, Antony Beall, after Mr Rawnsley asked if other employees should be helping him with the work.

The tribunal heard that Mr Beall lost his temper and struck the employee’s face before pushing him and telling him to “get out”.

After clocking out, Mr Rawnsley made the note on his card.

He then reported the assault to the police, who advised him to have no further contact with Mr Beall.

After contacting his GP, the employee was signed off for two weeks with stress.

The tribunal heard he sent a text to a colleague suggesting he was unsure if he would return.

The judge heard that the boss sent a text message to Mr Rawnsley on the afternoon that the assault took place to apologise for the incident.

But four days later, the boss wrote a letter to the employee calling him a “jumped-up, know-it-all, spoilt child”.

The tribunal determined that the statement amounted to age discrimina­tion and ruled that Mr Rawnsley was unfairly dismissed.

Employment judge Mr Brewer said: “There was no justificat­ion for Mr Beall assaulting the claimant, much as he may have later regretted it.

“The tribunal is firmly of the view that an assault on a subordinat­e by a managing director who then pushes him towards the door telling him to go amounts to a clear breach of the implied term of trust and confidence.

“The claimant was entitled to resign and to treat himself as having been dismissed.”

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 ?? GOOGLE ?? SCENE: Queniborou­gh Aluminium Services, in Melton Road in Syston
GOOGLE SCENE: Queniborou­gh Aluminium Services, in Melton Road in Syston

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