Sacked medical firm manager who told bosses he was 'sick and wanted to check on his pregnant girlfriend’ to catch holiday flight before being pictured hours later at an airport with a burger and a pint, loses unfair dismissal claim

A medical firm manager who was sacked after telling bosses he was 'sick and wanted to check on his pregnant girlfriend' but was pictured hours later at an airport with a burger and a pint has lost an unfair dismissal claim. 

Ross Collins had booked time off work for a trip to Cyprus from the following day when his flight was actually due to take off 24 hours earlier, a tribunal heard.

In order to catch his plane, he told his employers he had an 'upset stomach' and wanted to check on his partner who was 'nearly 12 weeks pregnant'.

But he was caught out when colleagues saw a photo on social media of him enjoying a meal and a drink at Gatwick Airport just three and a half hours after leaving work.

Mr Collins was sacked for gross misconduct and later sued for unfair dismissal, but his claims were rejected by an employment tribunal.

A hearing was told he had been employed by STERIS Instrument Management Service for more than 12 years.

Ross Collins had booked time off work for a trip to Cyprus from the following day when his flight from Gatwick Airport (file photo) was due to take off 24 hours earlier, a tribunal heard

The company, part of a larger American corporation, is a leading industry expert in 'managing surgical instruments and devices'.

At the time of the incident in October 2018, Mr Collins was working as a workshop supervisor at the company's site in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire.

The tribunal in Watford heard he had booked a flight for two adults from Gatwick Airport to Larnaca on the southern coast of Cyprus, leaving at 15:25 on Thursday October 18.

However, he had only arranged for three days off from work - starting on the Friday.

On the morning of the flight the tribunal heard Mr Collins was complaining he 'felt unwell' and was seen 'rubbing his stomach'.

He asked colleagues for pain relief medication but reported his illness to a manager later that morning.

The tribunal also heard he told his boss he was 'worried about his partner' who was 'in the early stages of her pregnancy and was also unwell'.

He was allowed to leave as he 'said he was sick and that he wanted to seek medical attention for his partner', and told another boss the time could be 'deducted from his overtime hours'.

Three and a half hours after leaving work, Mr Collins' partner uploaded a photo to social media showing him 'at the airport eating a burger chips and drinking a pint'.

Other posts made clear the pair were on their way to Larnaca, Cyprus, the tribunal heard.

The tribunal in Watford heard he had booked a flight for two adults from Gatwick Airport to Larnaca on the southern coast of Cyprus, leaving at 15:25 on Thursday October 18 (pictured: file photo of a passenger plane approaching Larnaca airport)

Upon returning to work he was subject to a disciplinary investigation and later dismissed.

He appealed his dismissal and eventually launched complaints of unfair dismissal against his employer, saying he had overtime and 'wanted to take this time back'.

Mr Collins admitted he should have informed his bosses his flight was that day and not the day afterwards, but said he had never questioned colleagues who 'left work to watch a football game'.

Concluding, employment judge Stephen Bedeau said: 'The tribunal satisfied that the reason why Mr was dismissed was that he had lied to his as to the reason for him leaving on 18 October 2018.

'Mr had initially booked his flight to start from 18 October 2018, the day he had not booked as holiday.

'There was every reason to believe that because of the pressure on him and his partner to arrive at the airport in time, he left work on 18 October late morning.'