Former Tuffnells staff in Leighton Buzzard to take legal action following redundancy news

More than 30 Leighton Buzzard-based employees who lost their jobs when Tuffnells Parcels Express went into administration last week are taking legal action over the way the redundancies were managed.

The company collapsed on Monday, June 12, affecting a total of 2,000 workers across 33 UK depots.

The majority of staff were made redundant according to the joint administrators at Interpath Advisory, with transport hubs and depots closing until further notice.

It’s been reported Tuffnells, which delivers large items to the retail sector, had suffered as a result of Covid-19, increased costs and market competition. It had been taken into independent ownership in 2020.

Commenting on the company’s collapse and the redundancies, Richard Harrison, the managing director at Interpath Advisory and joint administrator with Howard Smith, said that ‘regrettably, with deliveries suspended and with no prospect of them resuming in the immediate term, we have had to make the majority of staff redundant’.

Further to the announcement, specialist employment law experts at Aticus Law says it has already been instructed by 522 affected individuals including 34 from Leighton Buzzard, and is now in the early stages of investigating concerns around how the redundancy process was managed.

As part of the process, the firm will also determine whether ex-employees are eligible to claim for a Protective Award claim against the company.

Aticus says that if their clients are able to pursue a claim and are successful, those involved in the legal challenge will receive up to eight weeks’ worth of pay in compensation, with a cap of £643 per week.

Edward Judge from Aticus law said: “As such a large employer with more than 2,200 members of staff, news that Tuffnells has collapsed into administration will come as a bitter blow to many, many families across the country.

“Within a matter of hours of the announcement we were contacted by around a dozen impacted employees who raised concerns about how the redundancy process had been managed.

“That number has risen rapidly to more than 500, including a total of 34 in Leighton Buzzard, and we are now in the early stages of investigating those claims and advising our clients on their options.

“As is always the case with protective award claims, the individuals who have reached out to us for advice regarding their rights are understandably very anxious and concerned about what the future has in store for them.”

Edward went on to explain that the firm is now investigating whether there are grounds to claim for a Protective Award, that is, compensation awarded by an Employment Tribunal if an employer fails in its duties.

“Historically people were under the impression that when a business has collapsed there is nothing that can be done, however, this issue keeps hitting the headlines and, as a result, employees are far more familiar with their rights and their ability to hold the company accountable.

“That means that when a company doesn’t act in the way that it should, they are far more likely to reach out for legal advice.

“The Protective Award is a vital safety net for so many families in fast-paced redundancy situations that often leave them with no source of income and absolutely no notice.

Tuffnells declined to comment.