Wessex Water Services Ltd

Case Summary

The Employment Tribunal dismissed the respondent's application for costs against the claimant, who withdrew his age discrimination and public interest disclosure claims after failing to notify the tribunal about a clash with another tribunal hearing. The judge found that while the claimant’s conduct was unreasonable, it did not warrant an award of costs.

The claimant withdrew his age discrimination and public interest disclosure claims after failing to notify the tribunal of a scheduling conflict with another hearing. Although the judge found the claimant's conduct unreasonable, the tribunal dismissed the respondent's costs application, concluding that costs were not warranted despite the unreasonable conduct.

• •unreasonable conduct in seeking a late postponement of the preliminary hearing
• •withdrawal of claim without realistic prospect of success

Case No. 6006250/2023 1 EMPLOYMENT TRIBUNALS BETWEEN Claimant Respondent Mr A Paraskeva AND Wessex Water Services Limited JUDGMENT OF THE EMPLOYMENT TRIBUNAL HELD REMOTELY ON 16 April 2025 By CVP EMPLOYMENT JUDGE N J Roper Representation For the Claimant: In person For the Respondent: Ms J Renney-Butland, In-house Solicitor ORDER The respondent’s application for the claimant to pay a proportion of its costs of defending this action is refused and that application is dismissed. REASONS 1. In this case the respondent seeks a contribution towards its costs of defending this action against the claimant. 2. This has been a remote hearing which has been consented to by the parties. The form of remote hearing was by Cloud Video Platform. A face-to-face hearing was not held because it was not practicable, and all issues could be determined in a remote hearing. The documents that I was referred to are in a bundle of 50 pages, the contents of which I have recorded. The order made is described at the end of these reasons. 3. General Background 4. the claimant commenced employment with the respondent in 2023 and was subject to a probationary period of six months. On 29 September 2023 the claimant was called to an investigation meeting to investigate complaints and allegations of alleged bullying and inappropriate conduct which had been brought against the claimant by other members of staff. In response the claimant raised a grievance which was investigated but not upheld. The claimant was informed of this on 1 November 2023 and went absent on sick leave from 3 November 2023. He appealed the grievance outcome which was investigated and dismissed. In December 2023 the claimant presented the…