Tribunal grants ‘punitive’ maximum award to more than 20 ex-staff
23 June 2026
More than 20 former employees of a Norfolk-based printing company will receive compensation after an employment tribunal found they were made redundant without adequate collective consultation.
The tribunal ruled that Swallowtail Print, which entered administration in 2025, breached its obligations under section 188 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992.
Regional employment judge Foxwell awarded affected workers a 90-day protective award, covering employees who were dismissed as redundant on or after 26 June 2025.
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The maximum award for firms that fail to consult on collective redundancies has since increased to 180 days’ pay with the introduction of the Employment Rights Act in April this year.
Swallowtail, based at the Drayton Industrial Estate in Norwich, employed 44 staff before entering administration.
More than 20 former employees, supported by Unite the Union, brought claims after losing their jobs when the business collapsed.
The tribunal found that at least 20 employees at the Norwich site were made redundant, or put at risk of redundancy, within a 90-day period ending on 26 June 2025.
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