Weymouth manager gives evidence in court in unfair dismissal case (From Dorset Echo)

Weymouth manager gives evidence in court in unfair dismissal case

12:30pm Wednesday 20th April 2011 in News

A MANAGER has told an employment tribunal how she was asked to provide information about Weymouth workers’ hobbies and social lives so they could be put under surveillance.

Lynn Narramore, a manager at the Land Registry, gave evidence at the tribunal, which has previously heard that staff at the Weymouth office of the Land Registry were secretly filmed after they made personal injury claims.

Jane Brooke, of Abbotsbury Road, Weymouth, is claiming unfair dismissal and Suzanne Pymn, of Grove Road, Portland, is claiming victimisation.

Both workers claim they suffered repetitive strain injury and were two of six workers making personal injury claims that were later dropped by the union over costs, Judge Michael Coles heard.

Mrs Brooke was sacked after a disciplinary hearing and Mrs Pymn was sacked on the grounds of inefficiency and incapability.

Mrs Narramore told the tribunal: “I was asked to provide information about activities, hobbies and interests that the claimants might be undertaking that could be related to their conditions.

“I was asked about if they had booked holidays or days off work or if they might be attending an event outside of work.”

Mrs Narramore added that investigators requested information from other members of staff.

She said: “It’s picking up information from line managers who were overhearing conversations between claimants.

“Some of them heard what people were doing at the weekend including Jane Brooke saying she was cycling along Weymouth promenade.”

John Hendy, representing Mrs Brooke, said surveillance of staff continued from February to September in 2008.

The Southampton tribunal also heard that the Public and Commercial Services Union allegedly advised claimants not to attribute personal injuries to activities outside work.

Mrs Narramore said: “When I asked one woman if she had been doing activities outside of work, she said she had been knitting a significant amount of scarves the night before for her son’s football team. When I asked if that might be the cause of her injury, she said the union told her it didn’t think so and it was the activities at work.”

The hearing continues.