Tribunal told of surgery worker's hostile emails

AN office worker whose behaviour was said to have led to the resignation of two colleagues was dismissed from her job at one of Swansea's busiest doctor's surgeries.

Lisa Evans was removed from her job as an administrator in Sketty and Killay Medical Centres data team at the end of last year.

Doctors said they believed Miss Evans had been responsible for creating a hostile atmosphere at the practice on De La Beche Road, Sketty.

The tribunal heard Miss Evans had a clean disciplinary record and performed well in appraisals every year until she was confronted by managers in January last year.

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Practice manager Else Ulvi told the tribunal they had noted significant email activity between Miss Evans and a colleague who sat next to her, and later that month received an anonymous letter that seemed to accuse her of bullying.

By March Miss Evans had raised a grievance of bullying against Ms Ulvi but it was not upheld at the grievance hearing and she did not appeal.

Then in August another colleague handed in her resignation after 20 years with the practice because she felt unable to work in the condition at the office and named Miss Evans as a cause of making her feel isolated at work.

Surgery partner Dr Chris Mellor who carried out an investigation into the claims told the tribunal of the resignation of another employee who cited Miss Evans as one of the reasons for her leaving.

Her grievance was upheld and Miss Evans was suspended.

She was invited to a disciplinary meeting for alleged abuse of the statutory policies by sending messages of ill will and/ or bias against individuals.

Dr Mellor added: "There was a small room with two people emailing back and fore a lot of time. It engendered a hostile environment and that was supported by witness statements and from the colleague who said she had to resign.

"The volume of email activity engendered a hostile environment which made, to our knowledge, two people leave.

The tribunal was also told that one email which Miss Evans was said to have written urging a colleague to "slow down".

In a meeting held last October Miss Evans had said she had not meant to cause any harm or damage to work colleagues.

But Doctor Zoe Musson told the tribunal that a meeting the following month was called with email evidence that Miss Evans had been bullying and excluding other members of staff and that there were concerns due to the volume of emails that she had been neglecting her work.

Andrew Workman representing Miss Evans said she had felt victimised and subject to a vendetta.

Dr Musson added: "I was aware of the options open to me and came to the conclusion that it was upheld because of the bullying aspect that led to two people resigning."

The contents of the emails had been insensitive and inappropriate about other people.

She said: "Dismissal was the only option, I was double checking everything because I was aware of the potential consequences of that decision, that it could end up in a tribunal such as this."

Miss Evans is due to give her evidence today (Tuesday).

nino.williams@swwmedia.co.uk