Vet wins more than £12,000 after she was forced to work through her lunch breaks
An overworked vet has won more than £12,000 after being forced to work during lunch breaks.
Michelle Beckett began suffering from burnout after being forced to work “long hours” and “busy days with no lunch breaks”, an employment tribunal heard.
The dedicated vet received unpaid overtime because there was “substandard animal care” at the vets he worked for, but this caused him to quit due to stress.
Although his occupational health report stated that his working conditions caused mental health problems, he was required to work during lunch breaks on his return.
His manager even brought his own dog to be treated by Ms. Beckett after working hours, then complained that Ms. Beckett had expressed her concerns about it.
Ms. Beckett resigned after the manager attempted to discipline her over this and other matters.
Ms Beckett’s claims for unfair constructive dismissal and unlawful deduction from wages were successful. He has now been awarded compensation of £12,758.
The employment tribunal, held virtually, heard Ms Beckett had worked for the CVS corporate veterinary group since September 2020.
Ms Beckett worked as a veterinary surgeon at Pet Doctors in Chichester, mostly in the operating theater in Felpham, both in West Sussex.
The court heard: “From the moment he started work [CVS, Ms Beckett] He worked long hours and had busy days with no lunch break.
“He worked unpaid overtime when necessary.”
In October 2023, he told operating room management that he witnessed “substandard animal care” and that a “toxic environment” was created due to “differences between receptionists and professional staff.”
He did not feel his concerns were being taken seriously and his mental health suffered as a result.
Ms. Beckett was dismissed by her doctor in January 2024 due to “burnout/work-related stress.”
In a letter to his line manager before returning to work in March 2024, he said the problems he witnessed in surgery had led to him experiencing mental health problems.
An occupational health report prepared around this time found: “In my medical opinion, Michelle’s health and well-being, particularly her history of work-related stress and depression, may contribute to her mood swings and, at times, perceived rude behavior towards colleagues.
“It is important to consider these factors as they can affect their interactions in the workplace.”
The report suggested ways in which Ms Beckett’s wellbeing at work could be supported. However, although he returned “gradually”, he felt he was “still working under stress and not being able to take lunch breaks due to the pressure on him”.
In April, practice manager Lucy Millett contacted Ms Beckett before work started, asking her to help with her own dog, and Ms Beckett continued to answer Ms Millett’s questions until 8pm that day, in addition to her usual job. This meant that during his “phased return” he worked more than 10 hours without a lunch break.
The following month he was told that he had been invited to a meeting regarding Ms Millett becoming line manager. However, this was in fact an “informal disciplinary meeting” and Ms Millett made complaints and allegations about Ms Beckett’s behaviour.
She complained about having to deal with Mrs Beckett’s “anxiety” and the stress of her illness when she brought her dog for treatment. Ms Millett also claimed Ms Beckett spoke to colleagues in a “bad way”, which left Ms Beckett “very distressed and upset”.
In court, Ms Millett admitted she had not read the occupational health report, which explained how Ms Beckett’s health problems could affect her interactions with colleagues. In the minutes of the meeting, Ms Millett wrote: “sometimes [Ms Beckett is] stressful [her] incoming tone [as] impatient, bordering on aggression.”
In July 2024, Ms Beckett resigned, saying the disciplinary action taken against her was a breach of the company’s duty of care towards her.
CVS tried to get him to retract his resignation, but he did not and filed a complaint the following month that was rejected by the company.
The employment tribunal found that CVS had breached its own procedures in initiating disciplinary proceedings against Ms Beckett. The panel said: “Given this fundamental breach, [CVS] He continued his unreasonable behavior in breach of the implied period of trust and confidence by attending an informal disciplinary meeting on 21 May 2024, [Ms Beckett] extreme distress and distress, especially in the following cases; [CVS] was aware of his recent absence due to work-related illness.”
His former employer admitted at the hearing that the allegation of unlawful deductions from his wages was proven. He has been working as a self-employed veterinarian since resigning from CVS.
