Nurse in UK awarded £25,000 after Keralite dentist rolled her eyes at her

EDINBURGH Aug 31: A dental nurse in Edinburgh has been awarded more than £25,000 in compensation after enduring repeated bullying at work, including constant eye-rolling from a colleague.

Maureen Howieson, 64, who had more than four decades of experience in dentistry, received £25,254 following an employment tribunal judgment against the Great Junction Dental Practice.

The tribunal heard that relations between Howieson and Jisna Iqbal, a newly appointed dental therapist from India, became tense soon after Iqbal joined in July 2023. While Howieson, who suffers from arthritis, primarily worked on reception, Iqbal—qualified as a dentist from Kerala in India but not licensed to practise dentistry in the UK—was accused of taking over some of her duties without consultation.

Evidence presented showed that Iqbal frequently dismissed Howieson, refused to carry out certain tasks, and repeatedly rolled her eyes when she spoke. On one occasion, when asked to clean a washroom ahead of an inspection, Iqbal reportedly remarked that such work was beneath her, insisting “she was a dentist.”

Another dentist at the practice, Daniela Siersch, supported Howieson’s account, highlighting Iqbal’s unwillingness to cooperate. The tribunal also noted that practice manager Dr. Fary Johnson Vithayathil admitted being aware of prior issues with Iqbal but took no action.

After suffering a panic attack at work in October 2024, Howieson resigned. Employment Judge Ronald Mackay concluded that the practice had allowed a “hostile working environment” to persist and failed to fulfil its duty of care. He ruled that the practice committed “multiple repudiatory breaches” of her contract, amounting to unfair constructive dismissal.

The National Bullying Helpline described bullying as a form of repeated emotional or physical abuse, often involving intimidation and undermining behaviour. It added that workplace bullying can now extend into digital communication, and reminded that UK employers have a legal duty to provide a safe and supportive environment for all employees.

When it comes to bullying at work, the National Bullying Helpline said that ‘bullying generally refers to being subjected to repeated emotional or even physical abuse’.

“The workplace bully deliberately manipulates, belittles, intimidates and tries to control or undermine their victim using any means available to them.

“In this digital age, the workplace bully’s playground has now extended to cyberbullying with the use of email, mobile phones and social media sites like Twitter (X) or Facebook,” they added.

“Bullying at work and anti social behaviour resulting in stress, is a fact of life for too many workers in the UK but your employer has a ‘Duty of Care’ to provide a safe and stress-free place of work for all staff.”