Q&A I felt forced to quit job due to bullying. Do I have a case for compensation?

Q:      I was bullied at work for several months and ended up leaving my job at the end of January because of it. Mentally I was so low that leaving seemed like a better option than continuing a fight with the management to accept what was going on and getting them to intervene. I had complained to them several times but was just told I needed to ‘grow up’. I am struggling to get another job, which has caused financial hardship to me and my family as well as affecting my confidence. I have the names of people who witnessed the bullying. Is it too late to do anything about getting compensation?

A:       Firstly, there is a three-month limit from the time the abuse took place in which to start a claim, so you should make an appointment to see a solicitor who specialises in employment compensation claims as soon as possible. If you left your job because of the bullying it could effectively be classed as constructive unfair dismissal, but you will need to gather as much evidence as you can to prove that; contact details of any witnesses, dates when incidents of bullying took place, conversations with management about the incidents etc.

An employee usually needs at least two years qualifying service to bring a constructive unfair dismissal claim. However, some reasons are deemed automatically unfair, in which case this qualifying period does not apply. Your solicitor will be able to advise on this once they are in receipt of all the facts. They will need to see your employment offer letter, contract of employment and a copy of your job description. You should also provide any correspondence, diary entries, notes, and witness statements from colleagues that are relevant to supporting your claim. 

This question has been answered by James Denton, a Solicitor with GHP Legal.  If you would like to speak to someone about this or any other legal matter it is still possible, and we are doing everything we can to ensure that we continue to offer our high levels of service to our clients.  Where possible, we ask that you communicate with us by phone or email. If you have a new enquiry or for an appointment visit www.ghplegal.com or contact one of our offices: Wrexham 01978 291456, Llangollen 01978 860313, Oswestry 01691 659194