Arada Ltd

Case Summary

Mrs Louise Horn, employed as a human resources advisor for over ten years, was dismissed on 30 October 2024 by Arada Limited due to redundancy during a cost-saving programme. The tribunal found that the dismissal was fair as the redundancy was genuine, proper consultation took place, and the company's engagement of a part-time external HR consultant (7 hours per month) did not render the role redundant or the process unfair.

The tribunal found that the redundancy was genuine as the respondent faced significant financial pressures and was reducing operations. Although there were procedural imperfections, consultation did occur and the claimant was offered notice and a redundancy payment. The tribunal rejected the claimant's core assertion that external HR consultancy (7 hours per month at £736) had replaced her full-time role, finding this misrepresented the limited scope of the external engagement. The dismissal was therefore within the range of reasonable responses of a reasonable employer.

Use these claim-type pages to compare this decision with other published tribunal cases, outcome patterns, and visible award data.

• •Whether the claimant was fairly dismissed by reason of redundancy
• •Whether the respondent adequately warned and consulted the claimant
• •Whether the respondent took reasonable steps to find suitable alternative employment
• •Whether the decision to dismiss was within the range of reasonable responses
• •Whether the redundancy process was pre-determined
• •Whether engagement of external HR consultancy rendered the redundancy process a sham

Case No:6005156/2025 1 EMPLOYMENT TRIBUNALS Claimant: Mrs Louise Horn Respondent: Arada Limited Heard at: By Cloud Virtual Platform on 09 and 10 February 2026 Before: Employment Judge Elizabeth Gibson Representation Claimant: In person Respondent: Mark Brettell, director of the Respondent RESERVED JUDGMENT The judgment of the Tribunal is as follows: The complaint of unfair dismissal is not well founded and is dismissed. Case No:6005156/2025 2 REASONS Introduction 1. In this case the Claimant, Mrs Louise Horn brings a complaint of unfair dismissal due to redundancy against her former employer Arada Limited (“Arada”). 2. The Respondent denies the Claimant's claim. 3. By way of background the Respondent is a small company based in Axminster, Devon which manufactures stoves including wood burning, multi-fuel, gas and bioethanol fires. 4. The Claimant was employed by the Respondent for more than ten years. Initially Mrs Horn was engaged as a personal assistant to the two directors of the company to cover a colleague's maternity. She then took on a combined role as personal assistant to the directors and human resources advisor. 5. Latterly her role was solely that of a human resources advisor, a position she held for the eight years prior to her dismissal. 6. In early 2024 the Respondent faced significant financial pressures and was reducing its UK operations. Consequently it was in the process of making a number of redundancies to make cost savings (the "Redundancy Programme"). 7. The Claimant was dismissed on 30 October 2024. She was paid ten weeks' notice plus a redundancy payment of £7,982.16. Procedure and evidence 8. The hearing took place by remote video platform on 09 and 10 February 2026. 9. I was referred to a bundle of 78 pages of documentary evidence. 10. The Claimant provided a written statement which was us…