A 64-year-old dental nurse in Edinburgh has been awarded over £25,000 in compensation after an employment tribunal ruled that repeated eye-rolling and dismissive behaviour from a colleague constituted workplace bullying and led to constructive dismissal.
Maureen Howieson, a veteran of more than four decades in the dental field, received £25,254 from the Great Junction Dental Practice following a toxic breakdown in her working relationship with dental therapist Jisna Iqbal, who joined the practice in July 2023.
The tribunal heard that their relationship became “strained” shortly after Iqbal began working at the clinic, with allegations of repeated eye-rolls, rude conduct, and a refusal to perform agreed duties.
Despite her decades of experience, Howieson had been moved into a receptionist role due to arthritis, reducing her clinical duties. But according to the tribunal, Iqbal took over some of those receptionist responsibilities without Howieson’s knowledge and displayed behaviour that was described as belittling and dismissive.