Former Apprentice contestant takes Dezrez to employment tribunal

Kristina Grimes, a former runner-up on the popular BBC TV series The Apprentice, has parted company with Dezrez, where she was a sales director.

Grimes, who joined the tech platform in 2015, resigned from her role at the company in April last year.

Grimes has contacted Eye to share the judgement made by the Employment Tribunal in the case against Dezrez Services.

“I thought you may be interested in the following judgement made by the Employment Tribunal against Dezrez Services,” she said.

Grimes saw her position at Dezrez become untenable after the company transferred her management responsibilities to a colleague in her department.

She resigned last year claiming a “breach of trust and confidence between employer and employee so you have given me no option but to resign I feel due to constructive dismissal”.

Grimes was also accused of misusing a company car, which included causing damage to the vehicle.

The tribunal has now issued a reserved judgement, which states that Grimes was constructively dismissed and agreed that Dezres had breached her contract. Other claims were thrown out.

In addition, the court sided with Dezrez on points relating to expenses and money owed due to damage to the car.

A final judgement including costs and any award is due once legal proceedings have concluded.

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15 Comments

  1. Gloucester_Agent

    I don’t think either side comes out of that looking very smart or professional.

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    1. NewsBoy

      Its not exactly a cv if she’s ever looking for a job in this industry!  As you say neither side come out if it very well but I’m sure Dezrez are a very good company.  I found then very professional.

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    2. Mrlondon52

      Agreed having skimmed the doc both sides look fairly amateur

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  2. Robert_May

    Mx Grimes did not take not winning the The Apprentice well and was critical of  Lord Sugar for making a mistake.  I’d quote  what she said at the time but most of the sentence would be ****’d out by Eye’s Mary Whitehouse filter on bad words

    The industry  doesn’t really need to be reading this sort of tabloid story;  the  “I thought  you might be interested to know” smacks of someone seeking to commercially damage  Dezrez and their reputation

    Dezrez have always been at the front of innovation and with their PM  module on the near horizon it’s not difficult to see how deliberate menace for them right now might be welcomed by their competitors.

    this sort of  story  ought to be  sub-judice as it’s reputation damaging for all concerned but as Mx Grimes has instigated it I hope that’ taken into account when costs and  awards are considered.

     

    can you imagine the language if the compo is a quid, each party  covers their own costs?  I doubt that will be printable!

     

    While this story might have a minor affect on Dezrez relationship with customers and potential customers, it won’t stop  Dezrez innovating.

     

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    1. Woodentop

      My thoughts too as soon as I read “I thought you may be interested in the following judgement …..”. Put the knife in! Should EYE be ‘used’ in this manner, the story reads as much. Does it make any difference to the industry … more like tittle tattle gossip.

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  3. Breaking Dad

    She seems to think people care about her petty little life.  There are species of fish that live deep in the caverns of the Amazon that have never seen daylight and human eyes have never seen that care more about this woman than I do.

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    1. majortom1

      Liking that Breaking dad-def going to use that one very soon.

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  4. AgencyInsider

    If you are going to wash your laundry in public it is as well to ensure yours comes out squeaky clean.

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  5. coleface

    My experience employing hundreds of people over the years is that it’s a tiny proportion of individuals who end up in this scenario, but their traits are very similar.

    1. Not an easy person to manage in the first place.

    2. Are a very negative influence in the business draining the life out of those more enthusiastic.

    3. Think the world revolves around them and don’t consider others, least of all the businesses own challenges.

    4. Aren’t particularly good at what they do.

    5. Have driven Management to distraction trying to appease them.

    6. Can’t deal with critique.

    7. Need constant praise. Can’t deal with critique, even when it’s sandwiched by praise.

    8. have a poor attitude.

    After-all no business needs to reach an impasse with a quality employee.

    Publicising this case as a final chance to have a pop at the business while apparently seeking some sort of righteousness smacks of this person being in this category to me.

    it’s without question the most frustrating, difficult, stressful and demoralising part of running a business, that can easily impact on your overall view of staff if you’re not a strong character with a good support network.

    Appreciate there are bad employers too and these systems of redress are absolutely necessary, just my experience as an employer who cares is they are a lifeline abused by a few bad eggs you inevitably employ along the way.

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    1. Woodentop

      Or often the case simply, ‘disruptive within the workforce, that no-one wants to work with’.

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  6. Gangsta Agent

    slow estate agents news day?

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  7. smile please

    Never heard of her. I have now, Little chance she would apply for the positions i have open but if she does it will be a polite “No Thanks”

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  8. J22

    Does anyone actually care? Didn’t realise every employment dispute and tribunal is now newsworthy..

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  9. Carpets And Curtains Included

    Reg Vardy.

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    1. Robert_May

      Reg Vardy?

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