Not saying “hello” to a work colleague could breach employment law, a tribunal has ruled.
A boss repeatedly refusing to greet a member of staff was likely to “undermine trust and confidence”, a judge said. The ruling came when a recruitment manager won an unfair dismissal claim after complaining her managing director refused to say hello to her.
Nadine Hanson greeted new boss Andrew Gilchrist three times when she arrived for work. He deliberately ignored her every time, the tribunal found.
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Mr Gilchrist, 62, was angry because he thought she was late, unaware she had been at a medical appointment. Ms Hanson won her claim after employment judge Sarah Davies ruled his behaviour “unreasonable”.
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“That is conduct from the owner and director of the new employer that is calculated or likely to undermine trust and confidence,’’ she said.
“While it might not by itself be a fundamental breach of contract it was capable of contributing to such a breach.’’
Mr Gilchrist, who had just taken over the business, was “deliberately undermining” regional operations manager Ms Hanson to try to force her to leave, it was said. He pushed her phone out of the way when she tried to explain she’d had an appointment, suggested she `leave’ and within an hour handed two other staff pay rises behind her back.
Ms Hanson, who quit after suffering anxiety, won a claim for unfair dismissal and unauthorised wage deductions after Mr Gilchrist withheld her sick pay because he thought she was faking illness. She is in line to receive compensation from Interaction Recruitment Ltd, which has 30 offices across the UK, at a future hearing.
Ms Hanson worked in the Scunthorpe office of another firm when it was taken over by Mr Gilchrist’s company.