Employment Tribunal Ruling: Calling Boss a ‘DICKHEAD’ Not Justification for Immediate Dismissal
Following a heated exchange in the workplace, an office manager was recently reinstated and awarded over £30,000 in compensation after her employer dismissed her without proper cause. The employment tribunal ruled that calling her supervisor a ‘dickhead’ did not justify immediate termination. Kerrie Herbert, the office manager, was fired on the spot after she used the term during a heated meeting with her line manager and a director of the business. The court found that the company’s decision was not only unreasonable but also lacked proper disciplinary procedures.
Judge Sonia Boyes, presiding over the case, stated that the company had ‘acted unreasonably in all the circumstances in treating [Herbert]’s conduct as a sufficient reason to dismiss her.’ The judge pointed out that the comment was a one-off incident, made during a heated meeting and not indicative of any prior conduct. She emphasized that the remark did not amount to gross misconduct or serious enough behavior to warrant immediate dismissal.
In her ruling, Boyes also ordered the firm to pay over £15,000 in compensation and £14,087 in legal fees. Herbert, now vindicated, remarked, ‘If it was anyone else in this position they would have walked years ago due to the goings-on in the office, but it is only because of you two dickheads that I stayed.’ The case has sparked debate about workplace conduct, immediate dismissal, and the need for fair disciplinary procedures in employment settings.