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5h ago

London Café Worker Wins £21,553 After Tribunal Rules Cold-Conditions Complaint Led to Unfair Dismissal

The judge said her message about low temperatures qualified as a protected disclosure under UK health and safety rules.

Leila Ayad complained to the owners of Whipped café about having to work in the cold
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Overview

  • Temperatures in Whipped’s Covent Garden shop fell to about 12C when the door was kept open to attract customers, according to tribunal evidence.
  • Management initially refused a heater citing a previous near-fire, then ordered one after the worker referenced Health and Safety Executive guidance on minimum workplace temperatures.
  • After raising concerns in November 2023, Leila Ayad saw her hours reduced in January 2024, and the tribunal found the claimed lack of shifts was not true.
  • She was dismissed by email in April 2024 with performance reasons cited, but the judge found the dismissal was because of her protected disclosures.
  • The award totals £21,553.51 for unfair dismissal, and the tribunal also upheld claims for wrongful dismissal, unpaid wages, holiday pay and notice pay; the café closed in June 2025 and parent WL Retail is in liquidation.