Tribunal grants payout to collapsed contractor‘s staff

An employment tribunal has awarded more than 30 former employees of a collapsed contractor 90 days’ pay.

In a judgment published on Tuesday (17 February), Employment Judge Dawson ruled that 31 people employed by Acheson Construction should each receive payouts after the firm failed to consult with them before going under.

The Dorchester-based firm appointed administrators in February 2025, after it was hit by rising costs and a contract dispute.

The judge said Acheson had failed to respond to the case and described the employees’ claims as “well founded”.

The government’s business secretary, listed as a second respondent in the case, did not resist the ruling.

Due to Acheson’s administration, the claimants can now apply to the Insolvency Service, represented by the minister, for the funds.

The £54m-turnover firm, which is being run by administrators from Grant Thornton, had 48 employees in total when it went under.

Douglas Willcock and Susan Murphy, who are listed as a director and secretary for Acheson Construction on Companies House, were among the members of staff represented in the case.

Last year, the administrators warned that the process could last until 2027 and said dividend prospects “remained uncertain”.

In their last report, the administrators said they had received claims totalling almost £9m from unsecured creditors and just over £1m from a secondary preferential creditor.

It is currently unclear whether its unsecured creditors will receive anything from the administration process.