A police officer with anxiety has been awarded £2,500 after an employment tribunal found she experienced disability harassment. The case centered on a request from her sergeant to help move furniture at Glenrothes Police Station in Fife.
PC Sarah Thompson, who has a history of anxiety and depression, had an arrangement in place to receive a week's notice before being required to attend the office. This adjustment was formalized in April 2024. However, on April 16, her line manager, Sergeant Lee Soutar, asked team members, including PC Thompson, to come into the station to assist with moving furniture. Sergeant Soutar provided only four days' notice for this request.
PC Thompson declined to attend, feeling that the disregard for the agreed-upon notice period created an intimidating work environment. She subsequently took her case to an employment tribunal, citing disability harassment.
Employment Judge Joseph d’Inverno found in favor of PC Thompson, ruling that the request to attend the office with less than seven days' notice constituted harassment. The tribunal awarded her £2,500 for injury to feelings resulting from the incident. The judge specifically noted the compensatory award was for the incident of requesting PC Thompson, among other team members, to attend the Glenrothes office on April 20, 2024, with only four days' notice.
PC Thompson had worked in the training department at the station since 2019. An agreement was reached in October 2022 for her to work from home, with provisions for attending the office with reasonable notice. This was further formalized to a week's notice in April 2024.
PC Thompson has since retired from the police force for health reasons. Other claims of discrimination and victimisation brought forward by PC Thompson were dismissed by the tribunal. Police Scotland acknowledged the tribunal's outcome, stating they were aware of the decision.