Court upholds HelloFresh staff dismissals amid ‘dire’ conditions claim

Workers at HelloFresh in Nuneaton “engaged in an unlawful strike” according to the outcome of an unfair dismissal case.
It had said that the dismissal of staff who had spoken out against the “dire working conditions” was “an outrage and a disgrace”.
Community took its case to an employment tribunal, which has been thrown out by the court. The union said it was “unhappy” with the initial judgment and will be looking for all available options to support its members both legally and industrially.
The Berlin-headquartered business said that a number of team members refused to work during their shift earlier this year, which led to an investigation that found “multiple serious breaches of employment terms” resulting in dismissals.
HelloFresh has since proposed to close the Nuneaton facility, placing 900 jobs at risk.
Community has called for an independent review into the proposed closure, to look at ways to keep the warehouse open.
A HelloFresh spokesperson said: “We are pleased that after reviewing the evidence, the court completely rejected Community’s application against HelloFresh and found that the workers had engaged in an unlawful strike. At HelloFresh, we pride ourselves on being a company which treats all our employees with kindness and respect and providing a safe and supportive workplace across all our facilities.
“The outcome of the hearing affirms that the recent dismissals were fairly investigated and addressed, and that HelloFresh acted within the best interests of its employees to ensure their safety and well-being.
“Our employees are the heart of everything we do and we are committed to being an employer of choice.”