A former employee of Thistle Marine in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire has won a £37,000 payout after suing the engineering firm for unfair dismissal and harassment. Karen Farquharson, an office manager earning £38,000 per year, left the company due to the behaviour of Jim Clark, the managing director. The employment tribunal heard accusations that Clark dismissed Farquharson’s menopause symptoms as “just aches and pains” and accused her of using the menopause “as an excuse for everything”.
In August 2021, Farquharson informed Thistle Marine that she was experiencing “serious symptoms” and requested time off due to the menopause. The company paid for a private assessment of her condition. Later, during her absence from work, Clark accused her of “strolling in” when it suited her and claimed that he had a “pet hate” of employees not turning up. Clark referred to employees off sick as “snowflakes”.
In December 2022, Ms Farquharson worked from home for two days due to heavy snow and then heavy menopausal bleeding. Upon returning to work, Clark spoke to her sarcastically and dismissed her menopause symptoms. She later lodged a grievance but discovered from her colleagues that her access to the company accounts system had been cut off. Thistle Marine’s legal team disputed Farquharson’s evidence but the panel, chaired by judge James Hendry, found in her favour.
The tribunal concluded that Clark had violated Farquharson’s dignity and “has little time or respect for those who are not able to work as hard or without illness as he has”. Farquharson stated that her treatment and the tribunal were a “huge strain” and she had “lost my self-belief, I’ve got zero confidence now and I am very untrusting. It was the worst experience of my life”. She now works in accounts at another firm
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