Marketer unfairly dismissed as bosses chose media savvy youngsters

A marketing executive has won her case of unfair dismissal after she was subjected to a ‘sham redundancy process’ so her employers could use a younger employee to handle their social media accounts.

Joanne Stronach Head of Employment and HR reports on this recent case.

Sylvia Williams worked for Lyons Holiday Parks for ten years until she was dismissed in 2020.

Williams used traditional marketing methods such as tours with promotional vans or caravans and attending charity events.

Her bosses believed this was out of date with modern day marketing and hired another marketing person who was in her 20s to take over the social media accounts.

This new employee was also invited on a marketing course whilst Williams was not.

In 2020, she was dismissed from her role with Lyons.

The case was heard before the Employment Tribunal which ruled that Williams had not been subjected to age discrimination but was unfairly dismissed.

It heard that senior figures blamed the company’s fall behind its competitors on Williams being in charge of the marketing, particularly regarding its social media presence.

Judge Ryan noted that the company bosses harboured ‘ill feeling’ towards Williams.

She was sidelined from her duties in favour of younger colleagues and told by her managers that “it was good to give youngsters a chance”.

The company refused to train Williams in more modern methods of marketing.

The judge noted that “the company did not see Williams as an efficient, high-performing marketer capable of delivering what it wanted. That was the cause of the ill will on the company’s part. That was why it sought to dismiss her and engineered a so-called redundancy situation. There was nothing she could have done to save her employment . . . It was a foregone conclusion.”

A financial settlement was agreed by Lyons and Williams out of court.

For more information about the issues raised in this article or any aspect of employment law please contact Joanne on 01228 516666 or click here to send her an email.