HR & legal case study

As soon as Hounslow-based company Dewhurst received a tribunal claim form for constructive dismissal and race discrimination, they contacted EEF.

As an organisation which takes its employee commitments seriously, Dewhurst had not been faced with an employment tribunal for some 10 years and for the HR officer leading the case it was a first experience of tribunal. Fortunately, attendance at one of our mock tribunal sessions weeks before meant she knew what to expect.

We sent a solicitor on site straight away to gather evidence and prepare statements. By spending time in the business our solicitor was able to gain a detailed knowledge of the working environment. By the time we successfully represented Dewhurst at tribunal, everyone involved was fully briefed and knew what to expect.

Even though it won, the tribunal prompted Dewhurst to review its equal opportunity policies and to ensure that managers were confident in applying them. Our solicitor reviewed the policies to ensure best practice was being applied and carried out a development programme for staff, thereby ensuring that training was both practical and relevant.