A medical clinic receptionist claims she was forced to quit because her employer failed to address a “toxic” work atmosphere after she said a colleague repeatedly called her a “lazy b***h” to her face.
The worker, Gwen Doyle, has complained that the apology she got from her colleague after a workplace investigation was “not genuine” and that the other worker was simply “told what to say”.
In a complaint under the Unfair Dismissals Act 1977, Ms Doyle has alleged she was constructively dismissed in October 2024 from the Athboy Family Practice in Co Meath, where she had worked for 19 years.
Her trade union, Siptu, told the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) at a hearing on Tuesday that the clinic’s management denied her natural justice in investigating her formal grievance about the incident and failed to address a “toxic” workplace environment
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That left her with “no other option” except to consider herself constructively dismissed, it was submitted on her behalf.
The employer is contesting the case – its solicitor, Terry Gorry, stating that it made “strenuous efforts” to resolve the formal grievance.
Giving evidence to the WRC on Tuesday, Ms Doyle said that on a date in April 2024, she was on a call dealing with a repair of a computer when her colleague turned to her and said: “Answer the phone, you lazy b***h.”
Ms Doyle said her reply was: “Sorry, what did you say?”
Her colleague then said: “Answer the phone, you lazy b***h, you do nothing in here,” the complainant said.
She said she went and reported the remark to the practice manager, Kirsty Sanderson, who sent her to the canteen.
“I couldn’t speak. I was in bits over the whole thing,” Ms Doyle said. She said she agreed when Ms Sanderson proposed getting the other receptionist to apologise.
The other receptionist then came to the canteen and Ms Sanderson told her: “You’ll have to apologise,” Ms Doyle said.
“I’ve no intention of apologising. You are a lazy b***h,” was the other worker’s reply, the complainant said.
Ms Sanderson then made reference to “numerous complaints” about Ms Doyle, the complainant added. The practice manager then said: “You have no interest in your job. You’re bringing your family life into it,” the complainant added.
“I was put in a back room and told to stay there. [The other receptionist] was told to go to reception,” Ms Doyle said.
Ms Doyle said she remained in the room until lunchtime, when Ms Sanderson went to her and asked whether she was going to for her lunch.
On her return, Ms Doyle said she told Ms Sanderson: “I need a list of the complaints against me.”
“She said: ‘You’re not getting them.’ I said: ‘I want a written apology,’” Ms Doyle added.
She said she then returned to her normal place of work at the clinic’s reception and worked until 5pm, but that it was a “toxic environment”.
The tribunal heard Ms Doyle took sick leave and remained on sick leave thereafter, except for one day when she was persuaded by a colleague to return because the clinic was “stuck”.
“It was absolutely horrendous,” she said.
Ms Doyle said both Ms Sanderson and the other receptionist apologised to her following a formal grievance process that was completed in July 2024.
She said the other receptionist told her: “Sorry for what I said.”
“That was it, and she just walked out,” Ms Doyle said. “Kirsty said: ‘I’m sorry for what I said, but I refute some of the things you said in your report,’” she added. “They were not genuine. Both apologies were not genuine. They were told what to say,” the complainant said.
“I could not go back into the work environment. It was too toxic. It wouldn’t have been good for my health, mentally or physically,” she said.
Ms Doyle’s trade union advocate, Peter Glynn said the grievance investigation was “shallow and lacked substance”.
He added that when Ms Doyle took issue with the grievance outcome, she received correspondence stating that the incident had been “dealt with” and the matter was “closed”.
This remained the position after Ms Glynn got her trade union got involved, Mr Glynn submitted, though the employer did state that it was “willing to look at rosters to identify the best working environment”, he added.
Ms Doyle’s position was that no matter what hours she was given, she would still be required to work with Ms Sanderson.
The tribunal heard the employer objected when the union referred the case to the WRC for consideration under the Industrial Relations Act 1969 in September last year.
“Mediation was sought and offered. The employer failed to engage,” Mr Glynn said. At this stage, Ms Doyle was left “no other option” except to conclude she had been constructively dismissed, he added.
Adjudication officer Michael McEntee has adjourned the matter to later in the summer, when Mr Gorry is expected to continue with his cross-examination of the complainant.
Ms Sanderson is expected to give evidence at a later stage in the case, as are Dr Anthony Ryan and another member of the clinic’s staff, Catherine Dolan.
