Nearly four years after an employment tribunal ruled in her favour, Marianna Michael says the experience still haunts her.
“It nearly ruined my entire career. My mental health suffered. Many of us involved had been lied to, creating an incredibly toxic and distressing environment,” says London-based Michael, now 33.
Employment tribunal claims are on the rise – up 39 per cent on last year, with Acas (Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service) reporting record demand. Such is the backlog now that hearings are even being scheduled for 2030. “We are currently waiting for around 18 months for a case management hearing after a claim has been lodged,” confirms Sarah Calderwood, partner at Gorvins Solicitors. “Claims were often dealt with within six to 12 months, but this does not seem possible anymore.”
Where and when to see solar eclipse – and do you need glasses?
With the UK set to see a rare partial solar eclipse on Wednesday evening, here is everything you need to know ahead of the event.
What you need to know
- A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon moves between the Earth and the Sun, obscuring the Sun’s light for a few minutes.
- Many parts of the country will experience between 89 per cent and 96 per cent coverage of the Sun.
- This year’s eclipse occurs in the evening, starting at around 6.15pm and ending a little after 8pm – depending on your location.
- The next total solar eclipse over the UK will not happen until 23 September 2090.
The best places to view it
People in the south-west of England are likely to get the most coverage.
For the best view, it is important to go high up. In London, this could mean Primrose Hill or the Royal Observatory at Greenwich.
There will be events to watch the eclipse all over the country, including at Calton Hill in Edinburgh, Armagh Observatory, Pendennis Castle in Cornwall and the National Space Centre in Leicester.
Do you need glasses?
There has been a last-minute rush for eclipse glasses, with many high street shops and online retailers sold out. Experts have warned that normal sunglasses are not safe to use to view the solar event.
If you want to view the spectacle, you could alternatively use a pinhole camera to project the shadow of the eclipse onto a flat surface.
5 min read
We should smile at our dogs – a new scientific study reveals why
Man’s best friend can distinguish between positive and negative emotions, according to researchers at the University of Vienna.
What you need to know
- Scientists studied 14 dogs who sat in MRI scanners to see what happens in their brains.
- The reward centre of their brains “light up” with activity when shown photos of smiling human faces.
3 min read
What does this mean?
Laura Cuaya, one of the study’s lead researchers, said “This finding suggests that happy faces, even those of strangers, have a positive value for dogs”.
She added: “We can reward our dogs with treats, but also reward them with happiness.”
Firefighters work ‘tirelessly’ to contain fire
Firefighters are beginning a third day of tackling a fire in the New Forest which they say they are “managing to contain” after working “tirelessly” through the night.
Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service initially scrambled 26 fire engines and four water carriers to the eastbound A31 after receiving 160 emergency calls reporting a van had caught fire on Sunday evening.
How did the fire progress?
The fire service said the blaze spread from the vehicle to the central reservation before progressing into nearby heathland in a south-easterly direction towards Backley Bottom, and is in a “challenging rural location”.
An update released on Tuesday by the fire service said that a change in wind direction had “provided a challenge” overnight but it was managing to prevent “spread and escalation”.
Cows face backdrop of smoke
A closer look at the detail
A total of seven fire engines, with water carriers and off-road vehicles, were involved in the operation overnight, which continued to use water pumped through miles of pipes laid from a nearby lake as part of a high-volume pump (HVP) system.
And the A31 – the main route through the New Forest – remains closed, with National Highways saying that repairs needed to “significant” damage to the road surface can only start once the fire is safely under control.
The story in pictures
What did the fire service say?
Thanks to the efforts of firefighters we are managing to contain the fire. We have been using a mix of fire engines and off-road vehicles to damp down and cool the edges of the area involved in the fire to prevent spread and escalation.
How much parents could save from new school uniform rules
A new law coming into force in September means parents in England will save money by having to buy fewer branded items of school uniform.
What does the new law mean?
From September, uniforms will be limited to three items with a school logo, like a blazer, jumper or sportswear – plus a tie for secondary schools.
The government says the changes will save some families “up to £50 per child”.
How will the law be enforced?
Who is affected?
Around 23 per cent of secondary schools will have to change their uniform lists by September.
How will it be enforced?
The education secretary has legal powers to direct schools to comply.
The rest of the UK
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland do not have a cap on uniform items, but are encoureged to keep uniforms costs minimal.
How England could eliminate hepatitis C
England is “on the cusp” of becoming one of the first countries in the world to eliminate hepatitis C, health officials have said.
What have the health officials said?
Global health leaders have set out plans to eliminate viral hepatitis by 2030.
NHS England said the nation is one of a handful of countries globally to have already exceeded the World Health Organisation benchmark of treating 80 per cent of all known cases.
It said that deaths from the virus have reduced by 36 per cent in the last 10 years.
What is hepatitis?
- Hepatitis C is spread through contact with blood infected with the virus.
- Many people have no symptoms but if it is not treated it can cause serious, and potentially life-threatening, liver damage.
- A treatment course of antiviral drugs for eight to 12 weeks cures more than 95 per cent of cases.
- NHS England said that since 2015, more than 100,000 people have been diagnosed and treated for hepatitis C.
The expert view
With C curable in more than nine out of 10 cases, we are committed to finding and treating everyone who needs support and would urge those at greater risk to come forward by ordering a free and confidential home-testing kit online.
Professor Frankie Swords, NHS national medical director
Why August is the worst month for drink driving
August is the worst month of the year for drink-drive crashes as summer events create “more opportunities” to get behind the wheel after consuming alcohol, according to new research.
What does the research show?
RAC analysis found an average of 721 people were injured or killed in drink-drive crashes in August between 2014 and 2024.
Before July, there was an average 704 casualties over the 11-year period.
December, which is often associated with drink driving, had an average of 663 casualties.
The expert view
Drink- is often seen more of a Christmas issue, but our shows collisions involving drivers who have consumed illegal levels of alcohol are actually far more common during the summer.
RAC head of policy Simon Williams
Williams added that warmer weather, longer evenings and “festivals and barbecues” create “opportunities and temptation” for people to drink and then get behind the wheel.
5 min read
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Are you having as much sex as everyone else?
It’s natural for libido to wax and wane due to life events, dating status or hormonal changes.
And it can be hard to say what a “normal” sexual frequency is. But research and case studies give us a rough idea.
The statistics
When it happens
61%
A 2023 survey concluded that almost two thirds (61 per cent) of us wait until night-time to have sex.
Only 14 per cent opt to get busy in the early evening, and 10 per cent in the morning.
Research from 2019 suggests that the average number of times British live-in or married couples have sex per month is three.
Are Gen Z having less sex than older people?
I see my partner on the weekends and have sex with others in the week.
Leanne, a 27-year-old influencer from Bristol has sex three or four times a week, but only sees her long-distance partner on the weekends. They have agreed they can both sleep with other people during the week.
35-year-old Rebecca usually sleeps with her partner once or twice per week due to not having much child-free time.
Clare, 32, says her job is busy and she has to schedule sex with her partner on weekends, or some afternoons twice a month. “Occasionally this slips and I do worry that it makes us not as connected,” she says.
I haven’t had the issue of my sex life drying up with menopause. I’m more aroused now.
I’ve been married for 15 years. I love my husband, but our sex life is non-existent, and has been for about five years.
I’m not really motivated to seek out partners; I vaguely like the idea of it but not enough to take any action.
I’ve been married for 20 years and sex has become something of a rarity. We maybe have sex once a week on a Sunday morning as we’re both relaxed and I can take Viagra late on Saturday night – without it, I can’t perform.
JACK, 63, OFFICE WORKER, KENT
The seven rules that could save your marriage
Keep your sense of self
I did what I thought I was supposed to do and forgot my needs and wants. I think it’s really important that you’re an individual and not just a person who is married.
KATIE STRATFORD*, A 55-YEAR-OLD MUM OF TWO, WHO DIVORCED ATER 19 YEARS
Seven rules to save your marriage
The small things
Small things, like being brought a cup of tea or saying thank you, make a big difference.
Karen Deulofeu, who ended her six-year marriage, believes all couples should seek support, even before they think they need it.
Listen properly by repeating what you have heard and ask if you’ve got that right.
Don’t lose communication
People don’t talk about the deep issues; nobody else is going to do it for you. You don’t want to ask questions because it might rock the boat…you have to keep talking, and talk about what it is that you want within the relationship to keep going forward.
KATIE STRATFORD
Seven rules to save your marriage
Remember that things change
“What you see on social media and what friends say is quite often the nice version. Everything is a phase,” says Deulofeu.
Look at yourself first
“Focus on what’s in your control and what you can do differently, rather than the other person or a situation that you can’t control. Invest in understanding yourself,” she adds.
This is in part due to a shift towards higher awareness of workers rights – lawyers are anticipating cases will grow further still, as from January 2027 employees will have six months to submit their claims compared with the current three months, and will be able to bring unfair dismissal claims after just six months service, rather than the current two years. Economic pressures, changing expectations around flexible work and the availability of AI to make claims easier to bring are also thought to be driving the number of tribunals.
The experience can be stressful for all parties, but employees can win significant compensation if they are successful. In 2024 Ryan Toghill was awarded £45,000 from his former employer, Lidl, after an employment tribunal ruled he’d been unfairly dismissed, as his managers hadn’t fully taken his ADHD diagnosis into consideration during the disciplinary process.
Nicola Hinds was awarded £350,000 for being discriminated against while pregnant – her employer calling her “emotional and tearful” when she expressed concerns about her workload and stress levels.
Most recently, Jonathan Reeves won £1.45m from Goldman Sachs. An employment tribunal found the bank had unfairly dismissed him while he was on parental leave, in what’s thought to be one of the largest tribunal payouts.
According to law firm MFMac, successful unfair dismissal claims can attract over £123,000 in compensation. Yet, Marianna Michael has only been paid £2,000 of the £11,000 which the employment tribunal ruled she was owed by her employer.
Back in 2021, Michael thought she’d landed a dream opportunity, launching an event to showcase fashion designers based in the North.
It was smooth sailing for around six months as the event took shape – then things started to crumble. Michael’s modest but steady salary stopped coming. Suppliers began to question late payments. Other staff members also began to complain about lack of payment.
Michael felt she was in over her head – but that she had to see the event through to the end. So she accepted her boss’s promises of payment, and pushed through, even taking another part-time job to sustain her financially.
The event managed to run in 2022, by which time Michael had already resigned – but she was determined to be paid what she was owed.
She contacted Acas who advised her to put together a case file. She compiled over 150 pages of evidence – emails and texts promising payments that never materialised. Acas confirmed she had a case, so Michael filed her claim – and went to court in December.
After a two-hour remote hearing, the judge ruled immediately that the event founder was to pay up. Yet several weeks later, Michael dropped the case.
“I had a bit of a breakdown. Although the court can put pressure on them, they actually still can’t force payment or get bailiffs involved. I was getting aggressive messages from (the founder), and I thought, ‘I can’t take this ruining everything. It’s exhausting,’” Michael reasons.
“I thought, ‘I can protect myself at this point. I can do without the money. I have a roof over my head.’ I think it was the relief of knowing that I’d won, and that I had done everything correctly. I had my dignity, and I didn’t want to lose any more.”
Jeopardising future opportunities
Michael also wanted to move forward with new work, and didn’t want her tribunal experience jeopardising future opportunities. Yet, she felt it was something she had to declare in interviews.
“When I was applying for new work, I told the employer I have now, ‘This is what happened to me’, because I thought they could just Google me and see it,” says Michael. She now works in artist management and media relations, and is also doing a Master’s degree. “I wanted people to know why I did it and why I stayed, and that I did everything lawfully. I want to show people I have integrity. I want people to know why there is a case with my name on it.”
Jemma Fairclough-Haynes is the CEO of Orchard Employment Law – and confirms that an employment tribunal record can count against you when it comes to looking for jobs in the future.
“In theory, an employee should not be treated unfavourably because they sued their current or ex-employer. In fact, if they are, they could have a separate claim for victimisation,” she says. “That being said, in practice, many employers may consider a previous claim as a red flag and it could hinder future career opportunities.
“All employment tribunal cases are now published online and there are very few circumstances of employee anonymity. There is also the possibility that local papers will report on an employment tribunal case if they think it is interesting.”
While Fairclough-Haynes’s firm represents employers, she says employees can have a strong case if they believe their employer has done the wrong thing.
“Unfair dismissal claims are easier to win on a technicality as judges look at the dismissal process, as well as the reason for dismissal – the burden of proof is very much on the employer,” she explains. “Constructive dismissal claims, where an employee resigns, are harder to prove as an employee, as the burden is on them. Discrimination claims can go either way, unless there is tangible evidence. A lot will ride on how credible the witnesses are at the hearing.”
The more evidence you can gather, the better, she adds – written comments, appraisals, emails and even a handwritten diary documenting all experiences related to the case in real time.
“In the case of Nicola Hinds [the pregnant employee who was awarded £350,000], exposing the employer’s feelings about an individual can make it more likely an employee is to win,” she says.
“It’s made me more ruthless”
Despite everything she went through, Marianna Michael doesn’t regret taking her boss to an employment tribunal.
“I would do it again, but I would handle things differently. As soon as it became clear that I wasn’t being paid, I would have had a more direct conversation and set clear boundaries. I would have been prepared to continue working unpaid for no more than another month, and if payment still hadn’t come through by then, I would have walked away,” she states. “It’s made me more ruthless now. I won’t take rubbish treatment any more.”