Latest news with #gross misconduct
The Sun
21-07-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Couple sue supermarket for race discrimination after being sacked for coming back from unauthorised holiday with a tan
A COUPLE have sued Waitrose after being sacked for returning from an unauthorised holiday with a tan. Peter Hedger and Katerina Dimitrova claim that they have been victims of racial discrimination by the store because of their 'tanned skin'. 3 The couple say they were fired from the supermarket after they returned home from a holiday to Bulgaria. A tribunal found that the pair had extended their stay in Bulgaria, Katerina's home country. However, Katerina and Peter have alleged that they were singled out after returning home with 'tanned skin'. A tribunal, held in Birmingham, heard that the couple did not tell Waitrose that they were abroad. The tribunal heard: "The [couple] put in a leave request for 2 September 2023 which was refused. "They, then, made a contact with their branch on a number of occasions between 9 September 2023 and 28 October 2023. "On none of these occasions did they mention that they were abroad and it was only after they returned to the UK that they disclosed that they had travelled to Bulgaria towards the end of August 2023.' The tribunal was also told that John Lewis, Waitrose's owner, said Katerina and Peter had been dismissed for gross misconduct in the form of unauthorised absence. The department store said that an appeal officer concluded that the pair had not been 'open and honest with their branch about the reasons for absence' or even that they were going to Bulgaria. A letter on the outcome of their appeal claimed: "I suspect you went to Bulgaria during your authorised leave and decided to stay longer." Shopper reveals the 'best time' to hit Waitrose for yellow sticker bargains, as she bags strawberries and milk for 69p Peter told the tribunal that the situation had come about because the pair had nowhere to live and that the couple now were struggling to find somewhere to live. Employment Judge Naeema Choudry said that the Katerina and Peter's claims about their 'tanned skin' had no bearing on their dismissal. Ms Naeema Choudry said: "The reason for dismissal was not due to the [couple] being in Bulgaria but because they were believed to be absent from work for no good reason and not to be house-hunting in the UK because they were abroad at the relevant time, having stayed abroad after a period of authorised annual leave. "As such, a claim based on Ms Dimitrova's Bulgarian nationality has no reasonable prospects of success and is struck out. "I am also satisfied that the allegation relating to 'tanned skin' has no reasonable prospects of success and should be struck out. "It is clear that the [couple] were dismissed because they were perceived to be on holiday when they were supposed to be at work and not because they had tanned skin." Both of their claims for unfair dismissal have also been struck out. John Lewis have declined to comment on the situation, saying they "can't comment on individual cases".
BBC News
23-05-2025
- BBC News
West Midlands PC who dragged woman from home banned from policing
A police officer has been sacked and banned from the profession after dragging a woman from a property and leaving her partially-dressed on the Paul Littler was found guilty of gross misconduct on Wednesday at a hearing arranged by West Midlands Police, following an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).The IOPC said Littler abused his position and treated the woman with "a lack of respect" during the incident in Birmingham in November was dismissed without notice and added to the College of Policing's barred list. At the time of the incident, Littler was already on a final written warning relating to a separate incident. Standards of behaviour The misconduct hearing's disciplinary panel was told that Littler had gone to the property following reports that a tenant was refusing to panel heard that the woman told Littler she had the right to stay at the property and tried to show him evidence on her phone, which he ignored, telling her: "I am the police, I can make up stuff as I go along, can't I?", and: "I've read it, you are still getting dragged out."Littler then handcuffed the woman and dragged her onto the driveway."As she was being dragged outside she told police she was she was a Muslim, hijab-wearing woman, and that she had no trousers on," said IOPC director Derrick Campbell. "The panel agreed this was undignified and that the officer failed to respect her request for modesty."However, the panel did not find Littler had discriminated against the woman because of her allegation that Littler used language suggesting he would abuse his power as a police officer was proven."PC Littler was in a position of trust but he treated the woman with a lack of respect, despite her being at a multi-occupancy property housing people with vulnerabilities."Littler was found to have breached the standards of behaviour governing authority, respect, and courtesy; the use of force; and discreditable IOPC said another officer would also be subject to a misconduct hearing relating to the incident, on a date yet to be determined. Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
