Leigh Best, who was dismissed from her job at pet store Embark on Raw in Billericay, Essex, in May last year, has been awarded more than £20,000 by an employment tribunal.
The tribunal had earlier ruled that Leigh was harassed due to her age and sex and unfairly dismissed after raising concerns over inadequate Covid safety measures.
David and Andrea Fletcher, the firm’s co-directors, said she was dismissed due to her “rude and confrontational communication with co-workers and managers”. But the tribunal panel ruled that the main reason for her dismissal was because she made protected disclosures, known as “whistleblowing”, during the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic, when she claimed that the safety procedures devised by the company were not being enforced and that co-workers were not wearing face coverings or following social distancing guidelines.
The panel also heard David Fletcher made inappropriate and derogatory comments to Leigh about her age and sex, including that he had shouted “she must be on her menopause” on March 20, 2020, during an argument about a mix-up with orders.
The panel concluded that Leigh was less favourably treated after raising safety concerns and that “Mr Fletcher invaded the claimant’s privacy, broached a highly sensitive topic for her and acted tactlessly.”
Employment judge Bernice Elgot added: “Part of the reason for the company’s decision to dismiss Mrs Best is that she made a significant allegation of sexism and ageism.”
Leigh, who now runs her own raw dog and cat food business, RawKings Premium, was awarded £20,057.74.
