Tribunal Awards £61,000 for Unfair Dismissal After Remote Working Dispute

Tanveer Shah, based in the Vale of Glamorgan, was employed by Food Hub, a food delivery platform headquartered in Stoke-on-Trent. Mr Shah had rapidly progressed within the company, rising from field sales executive to UK field sales manager by mid-2021.

Following a two-week holiday in Egypt, Mr Shah tested positive for Covid-19 at the airport and was unable to return to the UK. He informed Food Hub’s HR department immediately and remained abroad while recovering. Despite this, the company later dismissed him for allegedly failing to comply with a “reasonable management request” to work in the field.

The Birmingham Employment Tribunal heard that Mr Shah’s role required him to spend at least four days per week in the field, providing leadership and support to his team. Concerns were raised internally when it was noted that Mr Shah had submitted fewer travel expense claims than his peers, prompting CEO Adrian Mula to arrange a meeting.

During that meeting, Mr Mula dismissed Mr Shah on the spot. Although Mr Shah was briefly reinstated pending a disciplinary process, the company ultimately upheld the dismissal.

Employment Judge David Maxwell found significant procedural flaws in the company’s handling of the matter. He noted that a business partner had acknowledged the initial dismissal was likely to be deemed unfair and had orchestrated a process designed to appear fair while reaching the same outcome.

Mr Shah described the dismissal as underhanded, citing his strong performance and rapid career progression. “I worked my socks off and broke sales records. After all that, would I really neglect my duties by working from Egypt?” he told the tribunal.

Now unemployed, Mr Shah expressed hope that the tribunal’s findings would not hinder future employment opportunities.