A veterinary surgeon has been awarded £12,758 in compensation after an employment tribunal found she was forced to work through her lunch breaks, leading to burnout and constructive dismissal.
Background of the Case
Michelle Beckett resigned from her position at Pet Doctors in Chichester, West Sussex, citing burnout from long hours and busy days without adequate breaks. The employment tribunal heard that she also undertook unpaid overtime due to a perceived 'below standard of animal care' at the surgery, which ultimately led to her being signed off work with stress.
Return to Work and Ongoing Issues
Upon her return, despite an occupational health report highlighting that working conditions had caused her mental health issues, Miss Beckett was still required to work through her lunch breaks. On one occasion, her boss brought her own pet dog into the vets out of hours and subsequently complained when Miss Beckett raised concerns about the incident. The manager then attempted to take disciplinary action against her, prompting Miss Beckett to resign.
Tribunal Findings
The virtual employment tribunal ruled in favour of Miss Beckett, upholding her claims for unfair constructive dismissal and unlawful deductions from wages. The panel found that CVS, the corporate veterinary group that owns Pet Doctors, breached its own procedures in pursuing disciplinary action against her.
The tribunal noted: 'I find that given this fundamental breach, [CVS] continued in its unreasonable conduct by breaching the implied term of trust and confidence by proceeding with the informal disciplinary meeting on 21 May 2024 causing [Miss Beckett] extreme distress and upset especially in the circumstances that [CVS] was aware of her recent work-related sickness absence.'
Details of Employment
Miss Beckett was employed by CVS from September 2020 as a veterinary surgeon at Pet Doctors in Chichester, primarily at its Felpham surgery. From the start, she worked long hours and had busy days without lunch breaks, undertaking unpaid overtime as necessary. In October 2023, she reported 'below standard animal care' and a 'toxic environment' due to differences between receptionists and professional staff, but felt her concerns were not taken seriously.
Her mental health deteriorated, and she was signed off with 'burnout/work-related stress' in January 2024. Before returning in March, she wrote to her line manager explaining that the workplace issues had caused her mental health problems. An occupational health report noted that her health and wellbeing, particularly her history of work-related stress and depression, could contribute to mood fluctuations and occasional perceived uncivil behaviour towards colleagues. The report recommended support measures, but upon her phased return, Miss Beckett felt she was still working under stress and unable to take lunch breaks.
Incident Leading to Resignation
In April 2024, practice director Lucy Millett contacted Miss Beckett before work to ask for help with her own dog. Miss Beckett then faced a barrage of questions from Ms Millett until 8pm, working over 10 hours without a lunch break during her phased return. In May, she was invited to a meeting ostensibly about Ms Millett becoming her line manager, but it turned into an 'informal disciplinary meeting' where Ms Millett made complaints about Miss Beckett's behaviour, including dealing with her concerns and the stress of her dog's illness. Ms Millett also alleged that Miss Beckett spoke to colleagues in an 'uncivil way', causing Miss Beckett distress. Ms Millett admitted she had not read the occupational health report that explained how Miss Beckett's health issues might affect her interactions.
Miss Beckett resigned in July 2024, stating that the disciplinary action was a breach of the company's duty of care. CVS tried to get her to retract her resignation, but she did not, and her subsequent complaint was dismissed. The tribunal found that CVS breached its own procedures and the implied term of trust and confidence. CVS admitted during the hearing that the claim for unlawful deductions from wages was proved. Since her resignation, Miss Beckett has worked as a self-employed locum veterinary surgeon.
