Nurse Awarded £40k After Being Excluded from Workplace Tea Round

An NHS nurse who quit her job after being excluded from a tea round has been awarded £41,000 in compensation.

Susan Hamilton claimed that dietitian Abdool Nayeck deliberately made hot drinks for everyone except her after she had questioned his competency, an employment tribunal heard. She also alleged that he ignored her greetings, turned away when she spoke in meetings, and engaged in bullying behaviour.

The two had a strained working relationship for years, and their employer attempted to mediate the situation. However, during discussions, Mr. Nayeck bluntly admitted he did not like his colleague, the tribunal was told. Following formal intervention, both were instructed to be "polite" and "communicate in a civil manner."

Despite this, Ms. Hamilton reported that his behaviour remained unchanged, except that he stopped making tea for everyone rather than just excluding her. She also accused him of stealing a book and continuing to be dismissive towards her.

Ms. Hamilton, a diabetes specialist nurse who qualified in 1986, eventually resigned from St. Helier Hospital in Sutton, London, citing the NHS trust's mishandling of her complaints. The tribunal, held in Croydon, heard that she had joined Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust in 2012, while Mr. Nayeck started in 2017 as a diabetes specialist dietitian.

Their difficult relationship reportedly stemmed from a 2018 disagreement over how to respond to a collapsed patient. Ms. Hamilton admitted she had questioned Mr. Nayeck's competence and later apologised for her tone, but said that from then on, he became noticeably dismissive.

Among her complaints, she claimed he ignored her morning greetings, turned away when she spoke in meetings, and singled her out by making tea for the rest of the team but not her. After mediation, she noted that his only change in behaviour was to stop making drinks for everyone, so she was no longer specifically excluded.

While the tribunal upheld her grievances against the NHS trust, it dismissed allegations of abuse against Mr. Nayeck, and the book theft claim was only partially accepted, with bosses saying further investigation was needed.

A few weeks later, Ms. Hamilton was signed off sick with stress and never returned to the hospital. The tribunal ruled that the NHS trust had failed to properly address her concerns, awarding her £41,000 in compensation.

E&K Solicitors