Safety manager awarded £234,000 for pre-determined dismissal

A Health and Safety manager working on a major television production has been awarded more than £234,000 after an Employment Tribunal found she had been unfairly dismissed following disputes over her role, leadership responsibilities and workplace concerns.

The case centred around a senior health and safety professional who worked on the Disney Star Wars spin-off series The Acolyte. During the production, tensions developed within the safety team regarding departmental structure, reporting lines and concerns raised about colleagues’ competence and compliance standards.

The tribunal heard there was significant confusion internally about the exact nature of her role and level of authority. Some individuals viewed her as leading the department, while others considered her position more administrative. The tribunal found this lack of clarity created operational difficulties and contributed to deteriorating working relationships within the team.

Matters escalated further when a more senior Health and Safety Adviser was brought into the production. The claimant viewed this as undermining her role and raised concerns about how the situation was being handled. Complaints were later raised regarding comments allegedly made during workplace discussions, including references connected to race and management decisions.

Following an investigation and disciplinary process, she was dismissed for gross misconduct.

However, the tribunal found the dismissal was unlawful. Importantly, the tribunal concluded there was no genuine performance-based reason to dismiss her and that the decision to remove her had effectively already been made before the disciplinary process concluded.

The judgment stated that the employer had already decided the future structure of the department would not include her role, regardless of the disciplinary outcome. The tribunal also noted that, had the unlawful treatment not occurred, she would likely have remained employed until the end of her contract.

Compensation awarded exceeded £234,000 and included loss of earnings, future loss and injury to feelings. The tribunal also heard evidence regarding the significant impact the dismissal had on her mental health and confidence, as well as the effect on her career within the film and television industry.

For employers, the case highlights several important practical lessons.

Firstly, where there is uncertainty around roles, reporting lines or leadership responsibilities, businesses should ensure these are clarified early and documented properly. Confusion around authority and accountability can quickly lead to conflict, particularly in senior or specialist teams.

Secondly, employers should be cautious where disciplinary processes appear to overlap with wider organisational decisions. If a tribunal believes an outcome was effectively predetermined before the process concluded, this can significantly undermine the fairness of a dismissal.

The case also reinforces the importance of separating workplace concerns, grievances and disciplinary matters carefully. Even where relationships have broken down, employers must still be able to demonstrate that investigations and disciplinary decisions remain fair, balanced and evidence led.

Ultimately, tribunals will not simply look at whether concerns existed, they will examine whether the process itself was genuine, impartial and conducted with an open mind from start to finish.

Contact us at enquiries@121hrsolutions.co.uk and we can discuss and further queries you may have on this subject.

Safety manager awarded £234,000 for pre-determined dismissal

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