We bought a business earlier this year and TUPE applied to the deal. One of the employees we inherited has just issued a grievance that he is owed thousands of pounds of commission that the old owner did not pay him. The old owner never told us about this. Do we have any comeback?

Firstly, barring certain insolvency situations, the position under TUPE is that all liabilities transfer from old owner to new owner. So, harsh as it seems, you are likely to be on the hook even though this is not your fault.

I would then check the terms of any sale and purchase agreement. Very often such agreements will contain clauses making clear that the old employer is responsible for all accrued salaries, bonuses, holiday pay etc up to the point of transfer and the new employer thereafter. Assuming that doesn’t rescue you, you might be able to rely on the Employee Liability Information (ELI) provisions of the TUPE Regulations 2006. Regulation 11 of TUPE imposes for the first time,