Kirankumar Rathod had arrived in London in 2023 to join Clinica Private Healthcare, as a healthcare assistant. Although the contract he had received said his salary would be £23,500 a year, Rathod was neither given any work nor any salary.
He, along with other people in a similar situation visited the offices of Clinica but were not entertained. In fact, post one such visit, he was accused of insubordination via an official email!
Months of no work and no income left Rathod frustrated and helpless, driving him to tell a company representative that he would take legal help. This only made matters worse leading to his termination in November, six months after his arrival in London.
Fortunately for Rathod, the law took his side. He fought a case with the help of a solicitor from Work Rights Centre. The judge ensured interim relief, directing Clinica to pay the wages that were due to him, amounting to almost £17,000 pounds. The Court also asked Clinica to keep paying Rathod his salary till the time his case and claim pertaining to unjust termination from employment is settled.
The case has brought Clinica and its practices under scrutiny too.
Rathod is said to have paid £22,000 to an agent in India to bag a job in the care space in the UK. However, there is no proof yet of Clinica being aware of such a deal.
There are thousands like Rathod in Britain who have been victims of abuse at the hands of employers over the last couple of years. This payment has brought temporaray relief to Rathod and given hope to several like him who have till now been afraid to take the legal route for fear of being deported or getting their visa cancelled.
Rathod is likely to win the case at the Central London Employment Tribunal whenever the hearing takes place.
