Slapping down misleading postie payout headline

[TrueBlueTerrier]

https://www.lawgazette.co.uk/obiter/sla ... 71.article

Obiter is a fan of the work of Thompsons’ head of marketing David Standard and his attempts to call out misleading legal headlines on LinkedIn.

His latest grievance is a humdinger: a Telegraph headline of ‘Postman who punched customer in face handed £5,000.’

Aside from the thought of compensation now being ‘handed out’ like at a prize-giving ceremony, Standard points out the headline doesn’t even come close to telling the whole story.

The punching postman turned out to have been attacked first and was acting in self-defence. A tribunal had ruled that the postie, who boasted a 15-year unblemished record, was sacked without notice after a flawed internal investigation by Royal Mail.

As Standard pointed out: ‘The award wasn’t a windfall, it wasn’t a "win" – it wasn’t handed to him, it was compensation for breach of contract, calculated to the penny, and based on the employer’s failure to meet its legal obligations.’

Obiter applauds such headline vigilantism, and encourages anyone else irked by a misleading banner to speak up. Or get in touch with us and we’ll do it for you.

[Londonsburning]

In other words hush money to cover for RM management being unprofessional and incompetent in dealing with the situation. Postie still lost his job of 20 years.

[Smoothbackground]

In other words hush money.

Hardly done on the “hush” though, is it? The case is fully set out, chapter and verse, in a publicly-available judgment.

[Londonsburning]

In other words hush money.

Hardly done on the “hush” though, is it? The case is fully set out, chapter and verse, in a publicly-available judgment.

The only judge for the fully set out case as you do succinctly put it, was RM as an employer though. Judged the man right out of his livelyhood. chuck him on the unemployed pile with the rest of them.

[TopperGas]

It clearly was a "win" for the sacked postie as if he hadn't taken RM to court and won his case, he would have never received the £5,000 PILON payment.

[Acca Dacca]

It clearly was a "win" for the sacked postie as if he hadn't taken RM to court and won his case, he would have never received the £5,000 PILON payment.

The issue is the headline implied he was handed £5000 after being found guilty of punching a customer in the face wrongfully

He didnt win anything - he lost his job and had to go to tribunal to get the 12 weeks wages he should have been entitled to anyway

£5000 is nothing compared to losing your livelihood of 15 years

[tramssirhc]

In other words hush money.

Hardly done on the “hush” though, is it? The case is fully set out, chapter and verse, in a publicly-available judgment.

It certainly is and the judge stated that the worker was wrongfully dismissed and was the victim of an assault. If the assault had been properly investigated the worker would not have been dismissed.

[Wullie10]

And no walk out from his office ? It wouldn't have taken long many years ago. Either he wasn't well liked or it's everyman for himself nowadays.