Thirty-one former staff at collapsed Dorset contractor Acheson construction have secured a 90-day pay award after a tribunal found the firm failed to properly consult before making redundancies.

The court ruling follows Acheson’s slide into administration on 18 February 2025, when administrators were appointed after the business filed a notice of intention the previous day.

At the time, around 40 redundancies were made immediately, with most of the firm’s 48-strong workforce losing their jobs as projects stalled and trading ceased.

Now, in a judgment dated 28 January 2026, Employment Judge Dawson has ruled that the claimants’ case was “well founded”, concluding the company breached section 188 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 by failing to carry out collective consultation.

The tribunal ordered Acheson construction to pay each of the 31 claimants remuneration equivalent to 90 days’ pay, covering the protected period beginning on 18 February 2025.

The decision marks the latest chapter in the fallout from Acheson’s collapse, with former staff turning to the tribunal system to recover money owed following the sudden shutdown.