Locked out without notice: 18-year employee wins redundancy and unpaid wages

A long career ended abruptly

After 18 years of continuous service, the employee was locked out of her workplace on 8 March 2023, with no prior notice or explanation. She had not been paid since October 2021 – a period of 10 months – and had already obtained a county court judgment for earlier unpaid wages that remained unsatisfied. The employer, Riviera Multimedia Ltd, did not attend the tribunal hearing and was facing strike-out proceedings.

What the tribunal decided

The tribunal accepted the employee's evidence in full. It held that being locked out amounted to a dismissal, entitling her to a redundancy payment of £6,265.44. Because she was given no notice, she was also awarded 12 weeks' pay in lieu of notice (£4,176.96) for breach of contract. In addition, the tribunal ordered payment of £15,083.30 for 10 months of unpaid salary and £496.19 for 6.25 days of accrued but untaken holiday. The total award came to £26,021.89.

Why this matters

This case shows that even when an employer is absent and appears to be in financial difficulty, employees can still obtain a judgment for unpaid wages and statutory entitlements. The tribunal will rely on the employee's credible evidence if the employer does not contest the claim. It also highlights that a lockout can be treated as a dismissal, triggering redundancy rights for employees with at least two years' service.

What the employer could have done differently

The employer could have avoided this outcome by engaging with the process – attending the hearing, providing evidence, or at least responding to the claim. Paying the employee's wages and following proper redundancy procedures would have prevented the claim entirely. Instead, the company's failure to act left it liable for a substantial award.