AN ACCOUNTS ASSISTANT today told a court that when she refused to carry out “illegal” tasks, her manager told her to “just do the fucking job.”
The 35-year-old woman, who brought a personal injuries claim against ex-manager Mark Fisher and former employer Global Property Care Ltd, was awarded €30,000 damages against them.
She told the Circuit Civil Court that she suffered psychological injuries after having been regularly shouted at and verbally abused by Fisher.
She said Fisher had harassed and bullied her for almost two years. Barrister John Moher said the woman had already obtained a judgment in default of appearance against Fisher and the company which is in voluntary liquidation and today’s case was an assessment of damages only.
She told Judge James O’Donohoe that after staff at the property management company, at Unit 14, Oak Road Business Park, Nangor Road, Dublin, had been let go in August 2008, she had been assigned an excessive volume of work.
She claimed the tasks had been entirely inappropriate for an accounts assistant, as she had not been qualified or given adequate training.
The woman, from Adamstown in Dublin, claimed Fisher had asked her to perform “illegal” tasks which involved raising invoices and when she refused to do so, he had told her to “just do the fucking job.”
The woman claimed that she had been regularly humiliated and degraded by Fisher. She had been subjected to verbal abuse, bullying, intimidation and harassment when she was unable to perform tasks.
She told the court the company had been in financial difficulties and she had been required to take calls from creditors who were complaining about unpaid invoices.
Judge O’Donohoe heard that the woman was regularly shouted at by Fisher, of Killonees, Daingean, Co Offaly, and would be blamed for the “alleged” mistakes of other employees.
The woman claimed she had been been encouraged to undertake an accounting course but her fees had never been covered despite having been told they would be.
She alleged that despite her complaints, the company had failed to take any adequate steps. She had needed to take several months of sick leave and had received psychological intervention, including anti-depressants.
She said she was dismissed in December 2010 and was later awarded €7,000 compensation by the Employment Appeals Tribunal for unfair dismissal. She was now working for an insurance company.
Judge O’Donohoe heard that the woman had a history of psychological conditions which had been aggravated by the “intolerable work conditions” and that she still experienced disabling anxiety and depressive symptoms. He awarded her €30,000 damages along with her legal costs.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say