University of Reading - Unfair dismissal case rejected

A part-time academic has lost a claim for unfair dismissal against Henley Management College, which is now part of the University of Reading. Ian Chaston, a professor of marketing at the University of Plymouth, joined Henley in 1988 as a part-time tutor. In 2006, he signed a contract that said that the college was under no obligation to offer work to him as a "contractor" and that he was not obliged to accept any work offered. In 2008, he was told that he was no longer required and he was given one month's notice. He argued that the contract was a sham and that he was, in fact, an employee. An employment tribunal rejected his claim.