A CHILDCARE worker who was unfairly sacked because her boss failed to follow proper procedures will receive more than £2,200 compensation. Samantha Loxley, from Baldock, returned to an employment tribunal last week for a hearing to determine how much she

A CHILDCARE worker who was unfairly sacked because her boss failed to follow proper procedures will receive more than £2,200 compensation.

Samantha Loxley, from Baldock, returned to an employment tribunal last week for a hearing to determine how much she should get from the owners of the Highfields Day Nursery in Braughing.

Following a hearing in February, the tribunal, sitting at Bury St Edmunds, had ruled in Miss Loxley's favour by upholding claims for unfair dismissal and wrongful dismissal.

A third claim that her sacking was linked to her raising health and safety concerns was dismissed.

Tribunal chairman Kevin Palmer said it was the unanimous decision of the three-member panel that no disclosures or complaints that Miss Loxley made had exposed her to adverse treatment.

In total, Miss Loxley is to receive £2,286. She would have been awarded a third as much again had Mr Palmer not ruled that she had partly contributed to the situation which led to her losing her job.

Nursery owner Christine Raniere said there had been a complete breakdown of trust as well as falsification of records after Miss Loxley was twice late for work but signed in using an earlier time.

After a meeting last August at which Miss Loxley continued to insist that she had only been a couple of minutes late on one day and not at all on the other, the decision was taken to dismiss her for gross misconduct.

Mr Palmer said that Mrs Raniere had failed to follow the correct procedures in dismissing Miss Loxley, which automatically made it unfair.

He also said that the panel considered that if correct procedure had been adhered to, the dismissal would have still been unfair taking into account all the circumstances.