Halloween is here, and what better way to send a shiver down your spine and get into the spooky spirit than with HR horror stories? All true stories, the following cases prove that fact can be scarier than fiction.
Read on if you dare, but beware, these stories might have you hurrying for some HR support.
Dismissal disaster: From snoozed to sacked
Ever seen someone fall asleep in class? How about the teacher?
A teacher falling asleep at their desk might be a funny concept, but this teacher’s reality was humourless. He was suffering from depression and anxiety, which impacted his ability to work -from absences and sleeping, to shouting at pupils.
This was a long and complex case and after the teacher postponed his capability meeting several times, the school rescheduled with an ultimatum: it would not be postponed again. The day before the meeting, the teacher requested a postponement as his friend couldn’t attend. He also had a valid sick note at the time.
The meeting went ahead without the teacher, and it was decided he would be dismissed on grounds of ill-health. At a later appeal hearing, he was denied company and his appeal was rejected.
The employment tribunal stated the teacher had been discriminated against on disability grounds, with the employer not properly following “earlier stages of any policies.” He should have had the right to be accompanied throughout, and given warnings with review dates for meetings.
The school was surely in for a fright when the teacher received a £170,000 payout!
Fire in the bakery!
A bakery in Wrexham had a huge trick to go with their baked treats.
An employee was dismissed just six weeks into his three-month probation period, on grounds of health and safety – and the fact that production levels were impacted!
Dismissal during a probation period is precarious territory when a protected characteristic is concerned. The employee, registered blind, had previously worked as a packer in another factory for 18 years prior to the role. But he was making various mistakes in his new position; dropping loaves, not cleaning trays correctly, and crashing pallets of bread into machinery.
The tribunal stated the employee should’ve been given more time to learn and adjust. The company expressed they could not afford help for the employee, even on a temporary short-term basis, but this was rejected by the tribunal. It didn’t help the company’s cause that they hadn’t even provided a health and safety assessment.
The financial settlement isn’t confirmed yet, but the employee is seeking a £112,000 payout.
Printer jam
There’s always one employee that hogs the printer. However…
A night worker at a charity was disciplined for using £120 worth of charity resources to print 750 pages of past exam papers for her teenage son. With libraries closed during the pandemic, and a broken home printer, she resorted to using the work printer instead.
The details are blurry, with the employee denying printing in colour and saying she used her own paper. Nevertheless, she was accused of “abusing” resources and using all of the paper. During the investigation, she was signed off work for stress and a disciplinary meeting occurred in her absence: resulting in a written warning.
Whilst still on sick leave, the employee filed a grievance against the management. Following a sickness meeting, she resigned. In a later claim of constructive unfair dismissal, the tribunal found that the investigation was inadequate, with discrepancies about the amount of paper used.
The employee received £22,748 compensation – a whole lot more than printing costs!
Steer clear from HR horrors
Feeling spooked?
At The HR Dept, we’re here to protect SMEs from work horrors, during the spooky season and all year round.
Our retained advice line provides unlimited telephone and email support, insurance against tribunal costs (if advice is followed from the outset), written handbooks, and employment policies. We can help you follow the right processes to ensure that your decisions do not come back to bite.
Get in touch today and let us help you ward off any potential HR horrors!
