Father Stavros Bozos argued that he should not be required to commute to the church as the community computer was located at his home, making the commute a waste of time.
The employment tribunal heard that Fr. Bozos had failed to fulfill his duties after refusing to conduct services outside of Sundays, even after Covid-19 lockdown restrictions were lifted.
He was also accused of being uncooperative and defensive during meetings where concerns were raised about his performance.
Despite finding that Fr. Bozos had been evasive and reluctant to make himself available to parishioners, the judge ruled that his dismissal was justified.
However, the priest was awarded over
£2,200 in compensation because the diocese failed to follow proper
dismissal procedures.
The tribunal heard that Fr. Bozos had moved to the UK from Greece in 2018 and served as the priest at the Three Hierarchs Orthodox Church in Leeds. His responsibilities included providing pastoral care, conducting weddings and baptisms, and leading church services.
However, Fr. Bozos argued that he, as the priest, should have the sole authority to determine the schedule of church services.
The diocese raised concerns about his lack of availability, particularly his failure to provide regular catechism classes at the Greek school.
Fr. Bozos attributed his absence to the inconvenience of commuting and the strain it placed on his family.
The tribunal found that Fr. Bozos had been "obdurate and evasive" when challenged about his performance and had actively tried to limit his parishioners' access to him.
The diocese ultimately decided to dismiss Fr. Bozos, but failed to follow proper dismissal procedures due to the unusual employment arrangement between the Greek Church and the British-based charity that employed him.
While his dismissal was deemed justified, the judge awarded Fr. Bozos compensation for the diocese's failure to follow proper procedures.