Worker was discriminated against because of poor language skills
July 11th 2019By Joanne Stronach Head of Employment & HR The Employment Tribunal has ruled that a transport worker was discriminated against because of his ‘lack of command’ of the English language. Mr A Khawaja, from Pakistan, worked for Transport for London (TfL) but was overlooked for development opportunities such as training and conference calls. The office held conference calls twice a day and the team members also took part in regular…
Court ruling enables company to remove estranged director
July 8th 2019By Mark Aspin Director A High Court ruling has enabled a company to remove a director who had become estranged from the business following a dispute over alleged breach of duties. The company had two members and four directors. Three of the directors, including the majority shareholder, believed that the fourth director, Mr Christopher Stephen Jones, who was the minority shareholder, had acted in serious breach of his duties. In…
Give a Day 2019
July 4th 2019For Give a Day to the City 2019 #TeamCartmells decided to split into teams and take on two projects to help out our local community. On Wednesday 3rd July one team headed to Portland Square in Carlisle to revamp the gardens while the other team went to Oak Tree Animals’ Charity to help out with their improvements. The Portland Square team were joined by Asda, Stan Sherlock Associates, Northern Assist,…
Unmarried fathers – do you have parental responsibility for your child?
July 4th 2019By Laura Ousby Solicitor Unmarried couples often assume they have the same automatic rights as married couples but unfortunately, this is not the case. For unmarried fathers, one of the most alarming consequences is that they may suddenly discover they don’t have official parental responsibility for their children, even if they have been caring for them and looking after them for several years. We should perhaps clarify what is meant…
Estate agent not signed up to redress scheme fined £3,000
July 1st 2019By Laura Bright Solicitor An estate agent has been fined £3,000 for not being a member of all the required redress schemes for the services it covered. The case arose following a complaint from a tenant who lived in a block of flats managed by the agent. The local authority discovered the agent was a member of a redress scheme for its letting work but not for property management work.…
Step up to the Plate 2019
June 27th 2019On Saturday the #TeamCartmells super squad took part in the 21 mile Step up to the Plate Ullswater Way walk in aid of Hospice at Home – Carlisle and North Lakeland. The Ullswater Way starts off in Pooley Bridge and leads you up past Maiden Castle and Watermillock church then loops around Aira Force waterfall. The next stops are Glencoyne and Glenridding where you can stop for refreshments and a…
Woman asked for massage by boss wins sexual harassment claim
June 27th 2019By Joanne Stronach Head of Employment & HR A woman who was repeatedly asked to massage her managing director has won a sexual harassment claim. Emma Woolf worked as a sales manager for thermal cooling material provider, Universal Science. When she booked a two bedroom flat for a trade show, managing director James Stratford said that he would also attend the show and share the flat. His conduct throughout the…
Probation officer unfairly dismissed after accusation of abuse
June 26th 2019By Joanne Stronach Head of Employment & HR A probation officer has won her case of unfair dismissal after being accused of developing an abusive and controlling relationship with a former offender. Julia Hyland had worked as a probation officer for the Greater Manchester Probation Service since 1998. She was given the role of senior case manager for an individual referred to only as the Service User (SU) who had…
Surveyors must pay £50,000 for their negligence over knotweed
June 24th 2019A man who is almost blind was awarded £50,000 after his North London property became overrun with Japanese knotweed. Paul Ryb, who represented Great Britain and won the International Blind Tennis tournament, lost his central vision after suffering from a macular disease. Before purchasing the £1.2m property, on the ground floor of a big Victorian house, the former tennis champion hired Conways Chartered Surveyors to perform a comprehensive survey. He…
Getting contact with your grandchildren if their parents say no
June 20th 2019By Laura Ousby Solicitor Grandparents are playing an ever-increasing role in the lives of their grandchildren, often providing free childcare to enable parents to go out to work. Most of these relationships run smoothly to everyone’s benefit but occasionally, problems arise that break that family bond. The most likely cause is an acrimonious divorce or separation, in which children can become ‘weapons’ in the disputes between parents. This can spill…
