Woman awarded £19,000 for unfair dismissal

Elaine Buckley

‘Why would I look at porn, I’d rather have a chocolate bar’
A WOMAN sacked after an allegation she had looked at porn on her work computer has been awarded almost £19,500 compensation after winning a claim for unfair dismissal.

Elaine Buckley (50) said she can now “get her life back on track” following the lengthy tribunal procedure that followed the loss of her job at Greenfield-based Waters Edge Ceramics in December 2010.

Mrs Buckley, of Grasscroft, was accused by her former bosses of using her company computer for personal use. She was told an internal investigation showed she had gained access to a pornographic website. While admitting personal use of the machine, she strenuously denied the pornography accusation. Some sites presented an automatic display of advertisements she claimed could not be avoided, the tribunal in Manchester heard.

Managing director of Waters Edge Ceramics, John Wibberley, who dismissed Mrs Buckley, admitted he should not have mentioned “obscene” websites in letters directed at his former employee.

The tribunal found Mr Wibberley held a reasonable investigation, but underook a flawed disciplinary procedure.

Afterwards Mrs Buckley said: “It’s such a relief it is all over. “At 49, as I was then, why would I want to be looking at porn on my lunch? I’d rather have a chocolate bar.

“It has been almost two years of hell. Christmas was cancelled in 2010, which was just after I was dismissed.”






Follow us on Twitter - @OldhamChronicle