Care home worker wins case against abusive manager

A care home worker has won a legal battle against her manager, who uttered hurtful remarks during an alleged incident. Sonia Pywell took her former manager, Samantha Bacon, to an employment tribunal, where it was revealed that Ms. Pywell had been subjected to repeated profanities and a threat that reporting the incident would be the "last thing" she ever did.

Ms. Pywell and Ms. Bacon were described as childhood friends, but their relationship soured after Ms. Pywell joined the staff at Primrose Lodge, a care home managed by Ms. Bacon. Latterly, Ms. Pywell raised concerns about alleged operational shortcomings at the care home located in East Goscote, Leicestershire.

Consequently, Ms. Pywell felt compelled to resign from her position, ultimately leading to her pursuit of a constructive dismissal claim, which she has now won.

The proceedings, held in Nottingham, uncovered the shared history of the two women, who had known each other since school and had rekindled their friendship in adulthood. Ms. Pywell had initially sought employment at the care home after finding her retail job to be lacking in support. It was Samantha Bacon who extended the job offer, giving her a managerial role at the facility. Ms. Bacon also managed another care home.

Ms. Pywell's concerns revolved around a staff member working across both facilities during the Covid-19 outbreak in 2020. She also accused Ms. Bacon of implementing a policy that allowed the care firm to admit returning residents without conducting Covid testing.

Employment Judge Ashley Fredericks concluded that "Ms. Bacon's actions... constitute a serious breach of the claimant's employment contract." As a result of this ruling, Ms. Pywell is now set to receive compensation.