Walsall Council has paid almost £130,000 in compensation to a worker who received a fax sacking her while she was on sick leave.
The case between the council and Elizabeth McDonald was settled during tribunal proceedings in which she was claiming £500,000 for unfair dismissal and disability discrimination. The figure was based on an estimate of what she would lose in salaries, pension and bonuses as a result of losing her job.
According to press reports Ms McDonald was sacked by fax in April 2005 while she was on sick leave after undergoing a thyroid operation.
Following the settlement, both sides issued a joint statement which said: “In order to save the costs of litigation over a period of eight days or potentially more, the parties have agreed to settle the claim before the employment tribunal.
“The council agreed that Miss McDonald became ill and that, subsequently, the council did not recognise the extent of her illness for the purposes of the disability discrimination legislation. Lessons will be learned from this and applied in future.”
