Dismissed For Gross Misconduct For Protecting Self

My partner has since been dismissed by her employer for gross misconduct for assaulting a fellow employee which was self defence. How does this stand legally? Does she have any rights to this?

Comments

  • pinkshoes
    pinkshoes Posts: 20,075 Forumite
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    Self defence and assault are not the same thing.

    E.g. striking someone vs blocking a strike.

    What exactly happened?
    Should've = Should HAVE (not 'of')
    Would've = Would HAVE (not 'of')

    No, I am not perfect, but yes I do judge people on their use of basic English language. If you didn't know the above, then learn it! (If English is your second language, then you are forgiven!)
  • getmore4less
    getmore4less Posts: 46,882 Forumite
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    if attacked get the police on it.
  • Fighting, regardless of who started it, is usually gross misconduct.

    Assault is a police matter.
  • MEM62
    MEM62 Posts: 4,746 Forumite
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    My partner has since been dismissed by her employer for gross misconduct for assaulting a fellow employee which was self defence. How does this stand legally? Does she have any rights to this?

    What was it? Did she defend herself or did she assault her colleague? It cannot be both.
  • MEM62 wrote: »
    What was it? Did she defend herself or did she assault her colleague? It cannot be both.

    Well it can, it could have started off as self defence then she went further than was necessary.

    Nobody has asked how long she has been employed. If it was for less than two years this is all academic.
  • Comms69
    Comms69 Posts: 14,229 Forumite
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    pinkshoes wrote: »
    Self defence and assault are not the same thing.

    E.g. striking someone vs blocking a strike.

    What exactly happened?



    To be clear self defence (the legal defence) includes striking someone before being struck - a pre-emptive strike, and is perfectly legal.


    In terms of gross misconduct, the company has a much wider discretion on what is acceptable and not
  • MEM62
    MEM62 Posts: 4,746 Forumite
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    Well it can, it could have started off as self defence then she went further than was necessary.

    In those circumstance it would be assault in my view and becomes so as soon as "she went further than was necessary".
  • My partner has since been dismissed by her employer for gross misconduct for assaulting a fellow employee which was self defence. How does this stand legally? Does she have any rights to this?


    She has the right to take it to an employment tribunal and make her case there, presumably she'll be filing on grounds of unfair dismissal.
    (Although I could be wrong, I often am.)
  • Paul_DNAP wrote: »
    She has the right to take it to an employment tribunal and make her case there, presumably she'll be filing on grounds of unfair dismissal.
    Not unless she has two years continuous employment, she won't.
  • kanosam
    kanosam Posts: 48 Forumite
    edited 19 September 2019 at 9:01PM
    was there a witness or CCTV evidence?
    what caused the assault?
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