The Labour Court allowed David Pratt’s appeal to the extent that it found a worker’s employment had not ended in a dismissal, but upheld the Rights Commissioner’s £750 net compensation recommendation. The decision was signed on 16 October 2000.
The worker resigned after discussing a return to college, a pay proposal and her difficulty working with a new manager. Pratt said she had resigned and he had accepted it. The Court found she could reasonably have expected a reply after he agreed to consider her proposal, and that his failure either to respond or reject it immediately was less than reasonable.
Although the Court did not find that the circumstances amounted to dismissal, it found the worker had been treated unfairly, taking account of her length of service and employment record. The Rights Commissioner’s recommendation had also taken account of her responsibility for the end of her employment, including her resignation and stated difficulty working with the new manager. The Court upheld the £750 recommendation.