Housekeeper wins unfair dismissal case against dead employer
Maridel Baltero was on holiday when fired in a text from pioneering teacher Andrea Greystoke in November 2023.
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A tribunal heard she was offered four weeks pay as notice after working 30 hours a week for ten years at Mrs Greystoke's London home.
Ms Baltero started proceedings in January 2024, but her 78-year-old boss died five months later.
The hearing in central London was told that Mrs Greystoke — director and founder of independent Abercorn School — had prepared a response to Ms Baltero's allegations.
In it she admitted most of the claims and cited 'personality difficulties'.
Employment judge Lydia Watton ruled the sacking unfair.
"I bear in mind that [Mrs Greystoke] was an individual acting as employer, and I cannot expect her to have a large HR function at her disposal", Judge Watton said.
"However, on the evidence before me she did not carry out any investigation whatsoever, let alone a reasonable one.
"[Ms Baltero] was not asked about her performance, nor were the issues discussed with her.
"I find that [Mrs Greystoke] could have reasonably been expected to wait longer before dismissing [Ms Baltero], at least until she had some form of consultation or performance management with [her].
"I do not find that dismissal was within the band of reasonable responses.
I lost 'everything' when UC stopped my £4.3k-month payment... now I've been sacked from my new job
"[Mrs Greystoke] had not made any attempt to find out if there were any reasons for the allegedly poor performance, or to warn [Ms Baltero]."
Compensation from Mrs Greystoke's estate will be set later.
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