Firm must pay part-time paralegal £41,000 over employment dispute

A paralegal has been awarded more than £40,000 after she succeeded in her employment claim against Oldham-based firm Inaaya Solicitors Limited.

Saima Kauser, who started working for Inaaya as a paralegal from 2016, could not work full-time due to her disability. Her claims against the firm for unfair dismissal, disability discrimination, and that she was treated less favourably as a part-time worker succeeded. Her claims of pregnancy discrimination and sex discrimination were dismissed.

The employment tribunal, sitting in Manchester, had previously found Kauser’s redundancy was unfair because she could have continued in her role as a part-time worker and there as no ‘objective justification’ for her dismissal.

In a remedy judgment, employment judge Ficklin said the firm must pay Kauser a total of £41,411.78.

The total remedy includes £10,320.28 as for Kauser’s successful unfair dismissal, £28,446.44 as remedy for her successful claims of discrimination, detriment, failure to make reasonable adjustments and less-favourable treatment for being disabled and a part-time worker which is made up of £22,5000 for hurt, distress and humiliation.

Kauser was also awarded £362.70 as remedy for the firm’s failure to provide written particulars of employment.