Unpaid wages and dismissal without notice: former employee awarded over £10,000
A former employee of The Furzedown Group has been awarded £10,358.50 after the company failed to pay full wages, holiday pay, and dismissed without notice.
1 min read · Last updated 18 May 2026
Case details
- #unauthorised-deductions
- #wages
- #annual-leave
- #breach-of-contract
- #dismissal-without-notice
Key facts
- The respondent failed to pay the claimant full wages for the period 1 February 2022 to 7 March 2022.
- The respondent failed to pay the claimant in lieu of accrued but untaken annual leave on termination.
- The respondent dismissed the claimant without notice, breaching the contract of employment.
- The claimant's unfair dismissal claim was struck out due to lack of qualifying service.
Timeline
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Start of wage deduction period
The respondent began failing to pay the claimant full wages from this date.
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End of wage deduction period
The period of unpaid wages ended on this date.
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Strike out warning
The tribunal gave the claimant an opportunity to show why the unfair dismissal claim should not be struck out.
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Strike out decision
Employment Judge Reed struck out the unfair dismissal claim due to lack of qualifying service.
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Substantive hearing
The remaining claims were heard by Employment Judge Cox, who found in favour of the claimant.
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Certificate of correction
The respondent's name was corrected to include 'The'.
The legal issue
The tribunal had to decide whether the employer made unauthorised deductions from wages by failing to pay full wages and holiday pay, and whether the employer breached contract by dismissing without notice.
The outcome
The tribunal ruled in favour of the former employee on all remaining claims.
The key reasons were:
- The respondent failed to pay the claimant full wages for the period 1 February 2022 to 7 March 2022.
- The respondent failed to pay accrued but untaken annual leave on termination.
- The respondent dismissed the claimant without notice, breaching the employment contract.
Compensation awarded:
- £4,687.50 for unpaid wages
- £2,546.00 for unpaid holiday pay
- £3,125.00 for breach of contract (notice pay)
- Total: £10,358.50
Lessons & takeaways
- Employers must pay all wages due for work done, including any period before dismissal.
- Accrued but untaken annual leave must be paid on termination, regardless of how the employment ends.
- Dismissing an employee without notice is a breach of contract unless the employee has committed gross misconduct.
- Employees with less than two years' service cannot claim unfair dismissal but can still bring claims for unauthorised deductions and breach of contract.
This case shows what can happen when an employer fails to meet basic obligations to pay wages and holiday pay, and dismisses without notice. The former employee, representing themselves, successfully proved that The Furzedown Group made unauthorised deductions from wages and breached the employment contract.
What the employer did wrong
The company stopped paying full wages from 1 February 2022 and eventually dismissed the employee without notice on 7 March 2022. It also failed to pay for accrued but untaken annual leave. The tribunal found these were clear breaches of the employment contract and the Employment Rights Act 1996.
Why the result matters
Even though the employee had less than two years' service and could not bring an unfair dismissal claim, they were still entitled to claim unpaid wages, holiday pay, and notice pay. This highlights that employees with short service still have important legal rights. Employers who ignore these obligations can face significant financial penalties.
The total award of £10,358.50 included £4,687.50 for unpaid wages, £2,546 for holiday pay, and £3,125 for breach of contract. The respondent did not attend the hearing, which may have contributed to the judgment against them.
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