A law student recruited by a solicitor at the Playboy casino in London is owed almost £29,000, an employment tribunal has found.
Employment Judge Krepski ruled that the unnamed claimant should be paid the sum because her purported employer, a solicitor who was also unnamed, was in breach of contract.
The claimant was awarded £4,675 in unpaid wages and £18,000 in compensation for injury to feelings, as well as £5,000 in interest.
Employment Judge Martin had described the case as ‘extraordinary’ after ruling in favour of the claimant, referred to as BR, in September 2022.
BR was a dancer at the club who was studying for her graduate diploma in law on a part time basis. She was approached by the solicitor, referred to as AD, and offered work as his personal legal secretary.
The solicitor invited BR to dinner telling her to ‘look classy’ and he then offered her a base salary of £14,000 per year plus a bonus of 10% of what she billed and received. She was expected to pick up clients at night when they visited high-end restaurants and bars. She was told by the solicitor that he was ‘God’ and she ‘an obedient little slave creature’.
AD, a consultant with a firm based in London and Bradford, did not provide a contract or take any details for paying wages. The judge concluded that the solicitor acted ‘entirely inappropriately’ towards the claimant and that she was employed by him. A claim against the solicitor’s firm was dismissed.
Complaints of harassment related to sex and victimisation were well-founded and succeeded.
Throughout the proceedings the solicitor has been referred to as deceased. Given this, it was not made clear in the latest ruling how the tribunal award would be paid to the claimant.
