A Manchester solicitor’s claim of unfair dismissal against Citizens Advice was dismissed by the tribunal.
- The issue arose from an ‘ill-judged’ comment made by the solicitor regarding a workplace award.
- A ‘Good Citizen’ award initiated was criticised as ‘dubious’ by the solicitor.
- The CEO’s response was deemed humiliating by the solicitor, leading to further contention.
- The tribunal found no breach of mutual trust and confidence, dismissing the claim.
A Manchester-based solicitor’s claim of unfair dismissal against Citizens Advice has been dismissed by the employment tribunal. The dispute emerged after Sarah Guest, who worked at Citizens Advice Manchester from 2010 and specialised in housing law from 2013, criticised a workplace initiative in July 2023. The initiative, introduced by a new director of operations, involved a ‘Good Citizen’ award, where nominated employees could enjoy their birthday off as a reward.
Guest described the award as ‘a bit dubious’ in a comment on the organisation’s internal system. This remark drew a public response from the CEO, Andy Brown, who expressed disappointment at the negative reactions, suggesting such attitudes might not align with the organisation’s culture. Guest found Brown’s remarks to be humiliating, further heightening the dispute.
The contention continued as Guest was informed by her line manager, Dan Pye, that her comment was considered inappropriate. Presiding over the tribunal, Employment Judge Slater noted that the discussion with Pye could not be seen as breaching the implied duty of mutual trust and confidence. Judge Slater highlighted that Pye’s criticism was reasonable and acknowledged by Guest as an ill-judged comment during the hearing.
The tribunal also assessed the CEO’s response to the situation. While the judge found Brown’s comment partially inappropriate, it was determined that this did not constitute a breach of the implied duty of mutual trust and confidence, unless combined with other factors, which were not present in this case. The decision, therefore, was to dismiss Guest’s claim of constructive unfair dismissal.
The tribunal concluded that the solicitor’s claim lacked sufficient grounds to prove a breach of trust, resulting in the dismissal of the case.
