Law Weblog

Newspaper boy was not employee, and so could not claim unfair dismissal

Saturday 27 February 2010 at 5:53 am | In News | Post Comment The Employment Appeal Tribunal held this week (in Bebbington v Palmer t/a Sturry News Employment Appeal Tribunal – 23/02/2010) that a 15-year-old newspaper boy, working a paper round, was not an employee.

Myles Bebbington was a schoolboy aged 14 when he started doing a paper round for his local newsagent, in Sturry, Canterbury as a “casual workers”. Pay was for work done (usually about 12 deliveries). There was no sick pay and there were no agreed holidays.

When the boys were asked to be at the shop at 6.30am ready to start their deliveries at 7.00am the boy stopped his round and claimed unfair dismissal.

The Employment Tribunal dismissed the claims on the basis of its finding that Mr Bebbington was not an employee of Sturry News. Mr Bebbington appealed to the EAT – but lost.