Sacked for Getting Older?
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September 27, 2011 TheFreshOutlook  |
A cafe worker has won over £1,300 in compensation when she asked for a pay rise when she turned 18.
Jenna Greer was sacked from her job “for being cheeky” after she asked for a pay-raise when she turned 18.
The pot washer asked her bosses at Heather Coulter’s Alphresco Café for the £4.92 hourly rate, which is the National Minimum Wage (NMW) for 18-20 year olds, and was sacked just five days later, an employment tribunal heard on Monday.
The 18-year-old, who had worked at the café for two years prior to her dismissal, was only informed that her job had gone after ringing to find out when her next shift was.
The tribunal said how it was clear that Mrs Coulter “did not wish to pay the increased minimum wage to the claimant and, therefore, dismissed her without communication,” adding that Miss Greer was dismissed “in the most callous way”.
“She was left to find out that her job had gone … She had to telephone the respondent to find out, over the telephone, that she was dismissed. The tribunal recognises that trading conditions are difficult in the retail sector but it is hard to find an excuse for the respondent to justify such treatment of an employee.”
After dismissing Miss Greer, who has not yet been able to find another job, last October, Mrs Coulter was ordered to pay over £1,300 for unfair dismissal and discrimination on account of age, including £500 for “injury to feelings”.
Mrs Coulter was not present at the hearing.
Cases such as Miss Greer’s occur all across the country, despite the threat for employers of up to £5,000 in fines for insufficiently paying their employees.
Currently, anyone aged 21 and over is entitled to an hourly rate of at least £5.93, as defined by the NMW, which is set to increase to £6.08 on October 1.
When speaking to The Fresh Outlook, an advisor at the government’s Pay and Work Rights Helpline said if you are not being paid enough for the NMW rate there are three options which you can choose to take: contact your employer, take your case to an employment tribunal or inform Directgov, who will pass your details onto HM Revenue and Customs to investigate the case.
For information on NMW rates and other employee rights please visit the UK government’s website at: www.direct.gov.uk
You can also call their Pay and Work Rights Helpline on: 0800 917 2368
For information on employment tribunals, you can call the Employment Tribunals Public Enquiry line on: 0845 795 9775
By Laura Beard
[Image courtesy of wwarby]
