Council taped employee's phone call, tribunal hears (From Croydon Guardian)
Contact us: Got a photo? Text SLPICS to 80360, click to upload your story, or call
020 8722 6350
Council taped employee's phone call, tribunal hears
2:54pm Monday 26th November 2007 in News By Gemma Wheatley
Croydon Council taped an employee's phone call while she was off sick in an attempt to prove she was acting inappropriately, a tribunal heard last week.
Jenny Christie, from Shirley, is awaiting a decision from the tribunal against Croydon Council after a two day battle with her former employees last week. She is suing the council for constructive dismissal.
The council accused Mrs Christie of acting inappropriately for two years but she was never disciplined by her managers.
The 39-year-old had been working for the council since 2000, first as a secretary to the head of personnel and after maternity leave she returned to a customer service role.
She claims managers in the customer service department bulliedng her after she made complaints to the union about the office.
Mrs Christie claims she felt so victimised she lodged her first official grievance in spring 2006. The complaint was not upheld by the council.
In October last year she was signed off by her doctor for eight weeks through stress and anxiety.
During this time she telephoned the office. The call lasted 42 minutes and was made to inform the council she would be attending a sickness review meeting.
The tribunal was told staff in that department can record calls but they must inform the person on the other end of the telephone before this is done.
Mrs Christie claims she was not told she was being recorded.
Mrs Christie told her boss Jenny Vosper that she felt like she was "talking to a brick wall" and that she "felt like punching someone in the face".
She said she was only told the call had been taped during a meeting with her line manager.
Mrs Christie told the tribunal panel last week: "I was very angry during the call especially because it was the council that had caused my sickness. Because I was being seen as a troublemaker this was a step to get rid of me.
"I realise that some of the comments made in the phone call could have been seen as confrontational but I was suffering from stress and anxiety."
The result of the tribubal is expected in five weeks.
