Optical Express Ltd v Williams

Optical Express Ltd v Williams
Court	Employment Appeal Tribunal
Citation(s)	[2007] IRLR 936
Keywords
Redundancy

Optical Express Ltd v Williams [2007] IRLR 936 is a UK labour law case, concerning redundancy.

Facts

Ms Williams claimed redundancy six weeks into a trial period as manager of an optical store, after the dental clinic which she had previously managed closed. She had agreed to a four week trial under ERA 1996 section 138 with reservations and asked for confirmation, when she began the trial in the new post, that she could still get redundancy should the new post not work out. But the employers said nothing at the time.

The Tribunal held she was not too late because there was a common law trial period that could be longer than four weeks. The employers had breached the term of mutual trust and confidence by imposing on her the new contract which was unsuitable. Because her rejection was within a reasonable time, she should be considered constructively dismissed under s 136(1)(c) and entitled to redundancy.

Judgment

Burton J held that the Tribunal was wrong and the statutory trial period could not be ignored.

Notes

Redundancy cases

ERA 1996 ss 98 and 135-181 and TULRCA 1992 s 195

Lesney Products & Co v Nolan [1976] EWCA Civ 8

North Riding Garages v Butterwick [1967] 2 QB 56

Murphy v Epsom College [1984] EWCA Civ 12

Safeway Stores plc v Burrell [1997] ICR 523

Murray v Foyle Meats Ltd [1999] UKHL 30

High Table Ltd v Horst [1997] EWCA Civ 2000

Hollister v National Farmers’ Union [1979] ICR 542

Richmond Precision Engineering Ltd v Pearce [1985] IRLR 179

Catamaran Cruisers Ltd v Williams [1994] IRLR 384

Williams v Compair Maxam Ltd [1982] ICR 156 (EAT)

British Aerospace plc v Green [1995] EWCA Civ 26

Rolls Royce plc v Unite the Union [2009] EWCA Civ 387

ERA 1996 s 141

Thomas Wragg & Sons Ltd v Wood [1976] ICR 313

Thomas & Betts Manufacturing Ltd v Harding [1980] IRLR 255

Optical Express Ltd v Williams [2007] IRLR 936 (EAT)

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