It is not fatal to an unfair dismissal claim by an employee working abroad that they do not fall within one of the three exceptions set out in Serco v Lawson. That list is not exhaustive, but provides examples of the true test, which is whether the connection between Great Britain and the employment relationship is strong enough to conclude that Parliament must have intended that employee, in that situation, to be protected. In other words, is the connection strong enough to overcome the general (but not absolute) rule that the place of employment determines jurisdiction?
Ravat v Halliburton Manufacturing and Services Ltd - ET jurisdiction relies on strong connection between employment and Great Britain
Supreme Court - 08/02/12
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It is not fatal to an unfair dismissal claim by an employee working abroad that they do not fall within one of the three exceptions set out in Serco v Lawson. That list is not exhaustive, but provides examples of the true test, which is whether the connection between Great Britain and the employment relationship is strong enough to conclude that Parliament must have intended that employee, in that situation, to be protected. In other words, is the connection strong enough to overcome the general (but not absolute) rule that the place of employment determines jurisdiction?
Read More.