A former M&S worker who was fired after she went off sick for confronting a customer without a mask during the pandemic has won her case of unfair dismissal. Deborah Daisy, a customer service assistant for the high street store, spent time off work after being verbally abused by a shopper who refused to put on a mask back in November 2020.
An employment tribunal heard that the situation had an impact on her mental health and brought back memories of previous incidents, including a robbery and run-in with a shoplifter. She then went on five months of sick leave due to "severe anxiety and depression". 2
Mrs Daisy criticised the company's "lack of action" over the incidents and said that she was left feeling "vulnerable" the in store, Teesside Live reports. She was later dismissed by the retailer after six months on the basis of "incapacity", with bosses concluding that there were no measures that could be taken to support her return to work.
