Coventry University - Cost of a broken promise

A temporary office worker has won £5,500 from Coventry University after bringing a case for unfair dismissal. Linda Adams worked as a temporary registry assistant at the university from June 2005 to March 2007. She said the university had verbally promised her a permanent contract, which led her to turn down another job offer in September 2005. The university failed to honour the promise, and Ms Adams was given a succession of six-month contracts, the last of which was allowed to expire when a colleague returned from maternity leave. Birmingham Employment Tribunal ruled that Ms Adams had been unfairly dismissed from her job. A Coventry spokesman said: "In light of the judgment, we will be setting up a meeting with our legal representatives to review the situation."