Employment law tribunal rules in favour of ‘bullied’ office worker

Posted 14/10/2010

A woman has been awarded compensation after a judge at an employment law tribunal agreed she had been subjected to a campaign of bullying.

Marion Kinley, 47, worked for former Labour MP Jim Devine in 2008 when he decided to play a bizarre practical joke on her.

He persuaded a friend to call the office worker and pretend to be a journalist investigating her for expenses fraud, then told her the newspaper would be printing an article saying she was having an affair with him.

Ms Kinley was extremely distressed and was signed off sick with stress, but Mr Devine then spread a rumour around her office that she was a gambling addict at the centre of a fraud investigation.

She eventually left her post in May 2009 and took legal action against Mr Devine.

A hearing this week agreed that she had been unfairly dismissed and the subject of a breach of contract and awarded her £35,000.

Judge Jane Porter commented: “The claimant showed great fortitude through her employment, during which it can only be said the claimant was subjected to a course of bullying and harassment.”

In August, teacher David Roy was also awarded unfair dismissal compensation after being sacked for an incident involving a pupil, despite having already been exonerated of blame.