Wrongful Dismissal and the Common Law PDF

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Empl oymentLaw Lect ur e10:TheCommonLawandWr ongf ul Di smi ssal I nt r oduct i on Wr ongf ul di smi ssal ( WD)–commonl aw act i onf orbr eachofcont r act . I mpor t antbecause: - Manyempl oyeesdon’ thavet woyear s’CE( e. g.ZHKs)–ex cl udedf r om s t at ut or y unf ai rdi s mi s sal - Fort hos ewhoar en’ templ oyees–i . e.wor k er swi t houtc ont r actofempl oy ment - Fort hos ewhos ufferl ossbeyondst at ut or ycap o Lev el ofcompensat or yawar di sl i mi t ed–consi derci r c ums t anceswher e empl oy eehasbeensubj ect edt ot er r i bl et r eat ment ,r esul t i ngi nps y chi at r i c br eakdownmeani ngt heycannev erwor kagai n–compensat i onofay ear s payi sunl i k el yt obesat i s f act or y . Hi s t or i c al l y ,t hec ommonl awwashi ghl yr est r i ct i vei nchal l engi ngdi s mi s sal s . - Unf ai rdi s mi s s al l egi s l at i oni nt r oducedasar espons et ot hi sr est r i c t i v er egi meof commonl aw. - Now,l i mi t at i onsonst at ut or yunf ai rdi s mi s sal meant hatsomeempl oy eeswoul d pr ef ert ouset hecommonl awr out e. Mor er ecent l y ,t heex i st enceofs t at ut or yunf ai rdi s mi s sal hasi mpededt hedev el opmentofa wor k er pr ot ect i v ecommonl awofwr ongf ul di smi ss al .

TheCommonLawandMas t erandSer v ant Ni net eent hCent ur ycont ext : - Languageof‘ mas t er ’ and‘ ser v ant ’ usedr at hert han‘ empl oy er / e’ –v er yt el l i ng. - Empl oy mentr el at i onshi pwashi ghl yhi er ar chi cal att hi st i me.I faser v antbr eached cont r actofempl oy ment ,t hi swoul dn’ tj ustr es ul ti nci v i l act i on–cons i der edac r i mi nal offence.Sensi t i v i t yar oundl abourdi s ci pl i ne. Cont r act ual r egi meatt hi st i mepr ovi dedv er yl i t t l epr ot ect i on: - I deol ogyofmast er ser v ant+economi cl i ber al i sm =c r eat edaf r amewor kf orcont r act t hatwasnotopent ot hei deaofempl oy ee’ sr i ght st oj obsec ur i t y .Cour t s concept ual i s edempl oy mentr i ght sf r om t heper spect i v eoft hemast err at hert hant he s er v ant . - Ver ys hor tnot i c eper i ods–seeCor nf or d,Ox f or dHi s t or yofLawsofEngl and. - Summar ydi smi ssalf orbr each,suchasf ai l ur et oobeyr eas onabl eor der=no br eachofcont r act . Thi sl edt ohar shr esul t si npr act i c e–e. g.Tur nervMason( 1845)14M &W 112: - Domest i cser v antwant edt ov i si therdyi ngmot herbutwasi ns t r uct edbymast ernot t ol eav et hehouse.Shedi s obey edandwentany way–summar i l ydi s mi s sedby mast erf orf ai l ur et oobeyanor der . - Hel d:Just i fi eddi s mi s sal –wi t hi nempl oy er sabsol ut epr er ogat i v et oi s suei ns t r uct i ons andobl i gat i onofs er v antt oobeyt hem. - Li t t l ej udi ci al compassi onf orser v ant s–Pol l ockCB:. . ” anor der ,i ni t s el fper f ect l y l awf ul ,byt hemast erofaser v ant ,t hats heshal l notl eav ehi shousef ort heni ght ;and

al l eges ,t hat ,not wi t hst andi ngt hator der ,shedi dl eav ehi shouseandhi ss er v i c e,and s t ai doutal l ni ght .Shehadnor i ght ,agai nsthi swi l l ,t ol eavehi sser vi ceatal l . Thepl eai st her ef or eagoodpl ea. ” Addi svGr amophoneCoLt d[ 1909]AC488: - Fact s :Ahi ghst at usempl oy eesummar i l ydi smi ssedi nbr eachofal engt hynot i ce per i odsetouti nhi sc ont r act .Addi sc l ai medt hesummar ydi s mi s sal hadr ui nedhi s r eput at i onandr es ul t edi nal ackofal t er nat i v eempl oy mentoppor t uni t i esf orhi m.At fi r s tt r i al ,Addi ssecur edsubst ant i al damagesawar dedbyci vi lj ur y. o I n1909,damagesc l ai mswer edeci dedbyci v i l j ur i es . - Hel d:TheHous eofLor dsaccept edi twasawr ongf ul di smi ss al asi tbr eachedt he not i ceper i od.Howev er ,t heCour ti mpos edasetofhi ghl yr est r i ct i ver ul eson r ecover abl edamages: o Nodamagesf orr eput at i onal i nj ur y ;nodamagesf ormannerofdi smi s sal ;no damagesf ori nj ur yt of eel i ngs;noex empl ar ydamages . o Damagesi nwr ongf ul di smi ss al casesconfinedt owagesf ornot i ceper i od. N. B.Addi si sst i l lt hekeyaut hor i t yatcommonl awf ordamagesi nwr ongf ul di smi ss al cases .ALLTHESERESTRI CTI ONSSTI LLAPPLY. - Howev er ,Addi shasbeener odedi ngener al cont r actl aw.Ther est r i ct i onsusedt obe appl i edt odamagesi ngener al cont r actl aw–ov ert i me,i thasbecomer el ev antonl y t owr ongf ul di s mi ss alc ases . - Thi smeanswehav eex t r emel yr es t r i ct i v er ul esf orWDt hatdonotappl yi ngener al cont r actl aw.

Di smi s sal swi t hNot i cef orAnyReas on Di smi s sal ( wi t hnot i ce)ofanor di nar ywor k erorempl oy eecoul dbegi v enf oranyorno r eason–Lor dRei di nRi dgevBal dwi n[ 1964]AC40at65: - “ Thel awr egar di ngmast erandser v anti snoti ndoubt . . .t hemast erc ant er mi nat et he cont r actwi t hhi sser v antatanyt i meandf oranyr easonornone” . - Languageofmast erandser v antst i l lusedi n1964! Candi s mi ssonnot i cef oranyr easonatal l–s eeRedavFl ag[ 2002]I RLR747: - PCat43:“ Buti nt hepr esentcont extt her ei snosucht hi ngasa' c ol l at er al ' or i mpr operpur pos e;apowert odi smi sswi t houtcausei sapowert odi smi ssf or anycauseornone” . - Nomor emast er ser v antbi nar y–howev er ,under l yi ngpr i nci pl eex act l yt hesame. So,di smi ss al wi t hnot i ceusual l ymeansnobr eachofcont r act=nor emedy.Theonl yt hi ng t heempl oy ermus tdot oav oi daWDcl ai mi st er mi nat et hecont r actwi t happr opr i at enot i ce. Mor eov er : - Nomi ni mum l engt hofnot i ceatcommonl aw–det er mi nedbycont r act . - I fnonot i ceper i odi ni ndefini t econt r act ,cour twi l li mpl yone–seeEvansvWar e ( 1872)LR7CP138:mi l kr oundsman–oneweeknot i cewasr easonabl e. - Si nce1963mi ni mum st at ut or yper i ods ;buts hor t–sees . 86ERA. - I npr act i cemi ni mum not i ceper i odsr epl acer easonabl eper i ods–us ual l yex pr es s r i ghtj us tt omi ni mum –s eenows . 1( 4) ( e)ERA. Cf .CEOs ,f oot bal l er set c–fix edt er m cont r act swi t houtgener al not i cecl auses .

Summar yDi smi ss al ( di smi ss al wi t houtnot i ce) Empl oy erent i t l edt ot er mi nat esummar i l yi fempl oy ee’ sconductunder mi nedempl oy er ’ st r us t andconfi dencei nhi m/ her=nobr each.“ Repudi at or ybr eac h”byempl oy eej ust i fiesdi smi ss al wi t houtnot i ce. Whet hermi s conductr eac hest hr es hol dofr epudi at or ybr eachdependsont hepar t i cul ar empl oymentsi t uat i on–Near yvDeanofWest mi nst er[ 1999]I RLR288: - Fi nanci ali mpr opr i et yf al l i ngs hor tofdi shones t ybyaChur chor gani st .Or gani st ar guedt hati mpr opr i et yt hatwasn’ tdi shones tcoul dnotc onst i t ut ear epudi at or y br each. - Cour t ’ svi ewwast hatt hr es hol dmaybehi gherf ort hi spar t i cul art ypeofempl oy eei n t hi sset t i ng.Lev el ofmi sconductneededi ss ens i t i v et oempl oy mentcont ext . Ex ampl es : - St r i k eact i oni sf undament al br eac hatcommonl aw,ev enwher et hest r i k ei sl awf ul t heempl oy eewi l lhav ecommi t t edar epudi at or ybr eac h–nodoct r i neof‘ sus pendi ng cont r act ’ l i k ei nmostcount r i es . - Offdut yc onductmays omet i mesal l owsummar ydi smi ss al –Pear cevFost er( 1886) 17QBD536: o Es herMR:“ i ft heser v ant ’ sc onducti ssogr oss l yi mmor al t hatal l r easonabl e menwoul dsayt hathecannotbet r ust ed,t hemast ermaydi s mi sshi m” . o ( c . f .PayvUKf r om l astl ect ur e)

Damagesf orWr ongf ul Di s mi ss al Cont r actdamagesass umecont r act br eak er( empl oy er )coul dhav et er mi nat edcont r acti n l eas tcos t l yway .Thenor mal meas ur eofdamagesi sj ustt heamountt heempl oy eewoul d hav eear nedi nnot i ceper i od. - Dut yt omi t i gat el os ee. Seee. g.Buckl eyLJi nGunt onvRi chmond[ 1980]I CR755at772: - As ses sdamagesonass umpt i ont hatmast er“ woul dhav edet er mi nedt hecont r actat t heear l i es tdat ehecoul dpr oper l ydos o”-soi ft hr eemont hs ’ not i ce,damagesar e “ t hr eemont hsr emuner at i onandnomor e” . Addi si sst i l l goodl awi nt hespher eofwr ongf ul di smi ss al :nodamagesf ori nj ur yt of eel i ngs , l osst or eput at i oncausedbyt hedi smi ss al ordi ffic ul t yi nfindi ngempl oyment ;noex empl ar y damages ;nodamagesf ormannerofdi smi s sal .

Pr ocedur al Pr ot ect i onsar eMi ni mal Rul esofnat ur alj ust i ce–e. g.not i ceofc har ge,f ai rhear i ng–ar enoti mpl i edi nt ocont r actof empl oyment . Mal l ochvAber deen[ 1971]AC1578: - perLor dRei dat1581:“ Atcommonl awamast eri snotboundt ohearhi ss er v ant bef or ehedi smi sseshi m” .

- Lor dWi l ber f or ceat15056:i nmast erandser v antcases“ pr i nci pl esof admi ni st r at i vel aw,i ncl udi ngt hoseofnat ur alj ust i ce,havenopar tt opl ay. ” McCl or yvPostOffice[ 1993]I RLR159perNeuber gerQC( ast henwas) : - “ Idonotconsi deri tr i ghtt oi mpor tt her ul esofnat ur al j us t i ce,whi char econnect ed wi t hj udi ci aldeci si onsands omeadmi ni st r at i v edeci si ons,i nt ot hepur el yc ont r act ual r el at i onshi pofempl oy erandempl oy ee” . Bogg:t hi si ssur pr i si ngbecaus et hepowerofdi smi ss al i soneoft hemostawesomet hatan i ndi v i dual canex er ci s eov eranot her .Ther eper c ussi onsi tcanhav eont hecour seofan i ndi v i dual ’ sl i f ewar r antt hepr esumpt i v eappl i cat i onofpubl i cl awpr i nci pl est ot he empl oymentr el at i onshi p. Manyempl oy eesdohav eaccesst oadi sci pl i nar ypr ocedur e.Thi swi l l becont ai nedusual l y i nt heempl oy eehandbook .Thecr uci al commonl awques t i on:dot hesehav ec ont r act ual effect ?I si ti ncor por at edi nt ot het er msoft hecont r actornot ? - Maynotbet er msoft hecont r actatal l –t r eat edasaquest i onofcont r act ual i nt ent i on, notaut omat i cal l yi ncor por at ed.Di dt hepar t i esi nt endt oi nc l udei ti nt het er ms ? - I tmayj us tber ef er r edt oi ns . 3( 1)ERA.Butcanbeexpr es st er msi fmadecl eari n i ndi v i dual cont r act-s eee. g.Chakr abar t yvI pswi chHospi t al[ 2014]EWHC2735 QBD. Ev eni ft hedi sc i pl i nar ypr ocedur e( i )i scont r act ual ( i i )empl oy erdi dn’ tf ol l owi tand( i i i )i fi t hadempl oy eewoul d/ pr obabl ywoul dhav ebeenc l ear edofmi sconduct ,atbestt hi scanonl y getear ni ngsf or( i )r easonabl et i met of ol l owpr ocedur epl us( i i )not i ceper i od:s eeGunt onv Ri chmond[ 1980]I CR755. Noc ompens at i onf or‘ l os sofchance’ t hatempl oy eewoul dhav ebeencl ear edofmi sconduct i fpr ocedur ewer ef ol l owed-seee. g.Janci ukvWhi t e[ 1998]I RLR63. AndnowseeEdwar dsvChest er fiel d.

Summar y SoWDact i ons ,onor t hodoxvi ew,of t ennonex i st ent( becausel i abi l i t ycanbeav oi dedby gi vi ngnot i ce)orwor t hl i t t l e( see,par t i c ul ar l y ,Addi sl i mi t at i onsonr ecov er abl edamages) . RememberAr t i cl e8ECHR: - Supposeempl oy eeacc usedoft hef tand...