Tribunal upholds refuge worker's dismissal
A woman who was sacked from her job with Women's Aid after
allegedly failing to ensure sufficient supervision for a mother and
her child, has lost her claim for unfair dismissal at an employment
tribunal.
Morag Frame, 52, was coordinator of the Inverness Women's Aid
refuge when she was sacked for what her bosses said was a failure
to follow instructions that resulted in a child's life being put at
risk.
She had been asked to pass on new supervision arrangements for a
particular client to all members of staff. She claimed that she had
told the most immediate person straight away and had begun writing
an email to inform the rest of her staff, before other work drew
her away from the task.
The tribunal this week accepted Ms Frame's employers' reasons
for dismissing her – that she had committed an act of gross
misconduct – and threw out her claims that she had been victimised.
She had claimed that the operation had not liked her trade union
involvement and had been unhappy when she questioned a recent
restructuring decision.
The employment judge said they were aware of an increasingly
fraught relationship between Ms Frame and her employers and that
she had a long and committed career with the centre. They ruled,
however, that her dismissal had been justified and by the book.
He said, “We found no evidence to suggest the claimant was
discriminated against or singled out for her involvement in trade
union activities. We also found a reasonable investigation was
carried out."