Labour Court recommends reinstatement or £500 for H.M.V. sales assistant

In 1991, the Labour Court recommended that Mega Records Limited, trading as H.M.V, reinstate a sales assistant for a further probationary period or, failing that, pay her £500 for distress and inconvenience. The recommendation was dated 5 June 1991. The worker was dismissed after Mega Records said a satisfactory reference was required for the job. She said her previous employer’s personnel manager had not issued a reference, and the manageress who completed the company’s questionnaire denied making derogatory comments. The Court said the recruitment practices had caused serious injustice and personal distress, and that some were very questionable.