Employment tribunal sides with solicitor Jurij Osokin, ruling the firm must pay the remainder of his £9,160 bonus
An employment tribunal has ordered Moss and Coleman Solicitors Limited to pay the remainder of a solicitor’s bonus following a dispute over his bonus entitlement. Jurij Osokin, who worked at the London-based firm for four years, had been promised a 10% bonus on fees billed and recovered over his target. However, after submitting his resignation in October 2024, Osokin found himself in a dispute with the firm regarding the payment of his bonus.
Osokin’s contract stipulated a bonus based on exceeding a set fee target. In 2024, he billed £260,352, surpassing his target of £168,750 by £91,602. This meant his entitlement was £9,160.20. However, when Osokin left the firm in January 2025, he was only paid £4,500, half of the agreed bonus. The firm cited issues with a probate case Osokin had worked on as part of the reason it withheld the remainder of the bonus, claiming some bills on the case needed to be reconsidered after his departure.
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The tribunal, led by Employment Judge J S Burns, found that Osokin had provided the most reliable and accurate evidence of his entitlement, showing he was due the full bonus amount. The judge dismissed the firm’s claims, stating that the issues with the probate case did not affect Osokin’s right to his bonus and noted that the firm had failed to provide alternative figures to challenge Osokin’s calculations.
Judge Burns ruled that the firm was attempting to rely on what he termed “its own claimed drafting shortcomings” in the contract, and found this attempt to be “unconscionable.” The judge also pointed out that the firm should have paid Osokin his full bonus by the end of January 2025, as outlined in his contract.
As a result, the tribunal awarded Osokin an additional £4,660.20, bringing his total bonus entitlement to the full £9,160.20.
This ruling highlights the importance of clear contractual terms regarding bonuses and reinforces that employers must adhere to the agreed-upon terms of employment, especially when the employee has met the established performance targets.