Latest news with #harassment
Yahoo
7 minutes ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Nurse at centre of row over trans doctor cleared of gross misconduct
A nurse who complained about a transgender doctor using a female changing room was cleared of gross misconduct the day before her employment tribunal resumes, according to her solicitor. Sandie Peggie was suspended from work at the Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy, Fife, on January 3 2024, after she complained about having to share a changing room with trans medic Dr Beth Upton. After Dr Upton made an allegation of bullying and harassment and cited concerns about 'patient care', Ms Peggie was suspended but was notified of safety allegations on March 28, 2024 in a letter, the tribunal heard earlier this year. Ms Peggie has taken the health board and Dr Upton to tribunal, lodging a complaint of sexual harassment or harassment related to a protected belief under section 26 of the Equality Act 2010 regarding three incidents when they shared a changing room: indirect harassment, victimisation and whistleblowing. Employment tribunal hearings took place in Dundee in February and it was then adjourned until Wednesday. Hours before it was due to restart, Ms Peggie's solicitor Margaret Gribbon said the nurse had been cleared of gross misconduct allegations following a separate health board disciplinary hearing. The disciplinary hearing was held on June 25 and it considered four gross misconduct allegations: two relating to patient care failures, one of 'misgendering' Dr Upton, and one relating to her encounter with Dr Upton in the workplace female-only changing room on Christmas Eve 2023. Ms Gribbon said: 'The evening before the resuming of her tribunal, Sandie Peggie received confirmation from Fife Health Board that following a disciplinary hearing, none of the gross misconduct allegations against her were upheld. 'Sandie is relieved and delighted that this 18-month long internal process has concluded and cleared her of all allegations.' In a statement, the health board said: 'NHS Fife can confirm that an internal conduct hearing has concluded in relation to a staff member in our emergency department, following allegations concerning conduct. 'The hearing was held in accordance with the national NHS Scotland conduct policy and followed an investigation into matters. It considered several allegations, including regarding interactions between colleagues and patient care. 'After reviewing the evidence presented, including written submissions and witness testimony, the panel found that there was insufficient evidence to support a finding of misconduct. 'While no formal sanctions have been imposed, the panel concluded that a facilitated reflective practice discussion would be appropriate. 'NHS Fife acknowledges that this was a complex and sensitive matter, and we are satisfied that the process has been appropriately followed and is now concluded. 'We remain committed to fostering a respectful, inclusive, and safe working environment for all of our staff and patients. 'As this matter relates to an individual member of staff, NHS Fife will not be making any further comment on the outcome.' The tribunal resumes after the UK Supreme Court ruled in April that the terms 'woman' and 'sex' in the 2010 Equality Act 'refer to a biological woman and biological sex', a ruling which has been publicly welcomed by Ms Peggie. The hearing starts again on Wednesday in Dundee and is expected to last 11 days. Last week, it emerged NHS Fife has spent more than £220,000 defending itself in the employment tribunal. The extent of the costs was uncovered following an intervention by Scotland's information commissioner.
The Independent
9 minutes ago
- Health
- The Independent
Nurse at centre of row over trans doctor cleared of gross misconduct
A nurse who complained about a transgender doctor using a female changing room was cleared of gross misconduct the day before her employment tribunal resumes, according to her solicitor. Sandie Peggie was suspended from work at the Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy, Fife, on January 3 2024, after she complained about having to share a changing room with trans medic Dr Beth Upton. After Dr Upton made an allegation of bullying and harassment and cited concerns about 'patient care', Ms Peggie was suspended but was notified of safety allegations on March 28, 2024 in a letter, the tribunal heard earlier this year. Ms Peggie has taken the health board and Dr Upton to tribunal, lodging a complaint of sexual harassment or harassment related to a protected belief under section 26 of the Equality Act 2010 regarding three incidents when they shared a changing room: indirect harassment, victimisation and whistleblowing. Employment tribunal hearings took place in Dundee in February and it was then adjourned until Wednesday. Hours before it was due to restart, Ms Peggie's solicitor Margaret Gribbon said the nurse had been cleared of gross misconduct allegations following a separate health board disciplinary hearing. The disciplinary hearing was held on June 25 and it considered four gross misconduct allegations: two relating to patient care failures, one of 'misgendering' Dr Upton, and one relating to her encounter with Dr Upton in the workplace female-only changing room on Christmas Eve 2023. Ms Gribbon said: 'The evening before the resuming of her tribunal, Sandie Peggie received confirmation from Fife Health Board that following a disciplinary hearing, none of the gross misconduct allegations against her were upheld. 'Sandie is relieved and delighted that this 18-month long internal process has concluded and cleared her of all allegations.' In a statement, the health board said: 'NHS Fife can confirm that an internal conduct hearing has concluded in relation to a staff member in our emergency department, following allegations concerning conduct. 'The hearing was held in accordance with the national NHS Scotland conduct policy and followed an investigation into matters. It considered several allegations, including regarding interactions between colleagues and patient care. 'After reviewing the evidence presented, including written submissions and witness testimony, the panel found that there was insufficient evidence to support a finding of misconduct. 'While no formal sanctions have been imposed, the panel concluded that a facilitated reflective practice discussion would be appropriate. 'NHS Fife acknowledges that this was a complex and sensitive matter, and we are satisfied that the process has been appropriately followed and is now concluded. 'We remain committed to fostering a respectful, inclusive, and safe working environment for all of our staff and patients. 'As this matter relates to an individual member of staff, NHS Fife will not be making any further comment on the outcome.' The tribunal resumes after the UK Supreme Court ruled in April that the terms 'woman' and 'sex' in the 2010 Equality Act 'refer to a biological woman and biological sex', a ruling which has been publicly welcomed by Ms Peggie. The hearing starts again on Wednesday in Dundee and is expected to last 11 days. Last week, it emerged NHS Fife has spent more than £220,000 defending itself in the employment tribunal. The extent of the costs was uncovered following an intervention by Scotland's information commissioner.
Independent Singapore
4 hours ago
- Independent Singapore
Woman trailed to Pilates class by stranger with phone, netizens debate legality
SINGAPORE: In a current viral Reddit post, a young woman narrated a troubling happenstance: a man she didn't know and had never seen before trailed her all the way to her Pilates class, with a camera phone in hand, purportedly taking photos of her. She labelled him as a 'pervert,' distressed by the fact that even in a public space, she felt anything but safe. But the story didn't end with her embarrassment. In the comment section of that Reddit post, there was a torrent not just of empathy, but of piercing discussions, legal opinions, and painful truths about how people navigate shared spaces in the era of smartphones. 'It's legal – but is it right?' A repeated theme from netizens was this: taking photos of people in public, while scary, isn't prohibited. 'As vile or repulsive as one may find it, taking photos of others in a public space is not an offence,' one user said. 'It's a big stretch to prove harassment.' Legally speaking, they're correct. In most territories, the right to privacy doesn't cover public situations. If someone's out in the open, photos can be taken of them, whether they're aware of it or not, or if they are comfortable with it. That reality was unsettling to many readers, particularly in a situation where a woman feels followed and objectified. 'Imagine you're just using your phone and someone thinks your angle looks suspicious—and suddenly people pin you down,' another commenter remarked, alluding to that the man in question was confronted physically. 'Those guys are lucky they didn't get charged.' When behaviour crosses a line However, others were quick to point out that there's a difference between taking a photo in a leisurely manner and following someone around. 'This is textbook stalking,' a commenter stressed. 'Nobody should be alarmed if they had their photo taken by a stranger in public. But if that stranger starts following them around, anybody would feel threatened.' There certainly is a key difference. While the law might not plainly outline this grey zone, informally and ethically speaking, the responses were far more unified. Trailing someone for a long period alters a permissible act into one of danger. One user even questioned why the man hadn't been detained, saying that constant following could be viewed as aggravation and harassment in many other legal systems. Freedom of expression or lack of respect? Another aspect of the conversation spun around clothes and permission, a theme as old as the public decorum dispute itself. Some contended that if a woman is donning form-fitting clothes in public, she tacitly invites attention. 'The same liberty that allows you to dress how you want,' one person claimed, 'also extends to others being able to photograph you.' Another commenter chimed in, 'If you don't think your outfit is too sexual, then the photos of it shouldn't be either.' But many discussants were quick to call this reasoning defective and risky. The notion that someone's clothing choices one way or another reduce their right to feel safe is a fragment of a bigger societal problem, one that has long beleaguered discussions about consent. 'There's a difference between looking and leering, between existing and stalking,' one netizen snapped. 'Not her fault, but…' – A troubling perspective As anticipated in situations like this, some remarks faintly deviated into victim-blaming. One user wrote: 'Not blaming her for her dressing or anything, but it's not an offence to take pictures. So, I don't get what she's so upset about.' Another weighed in, 'If this keeps happening to her, maybe she's unlucky—or maybe she's drawing attention with how she dresses.' Such views, while often outlined as concern or reason, echo a societal inclination to place responsibility on women to foil wicked actions from others, instead of holding the wrongdoers liable. The bigger picture This Reddit thread mirrors more than just one person's bad day. It's a picture of a society grappling with the restrictions of what is legal and what is decent, amidst the changing standards of a digital world. Yes, public spaces are shared, and yes, people have the right to take pictures of what they see. But when the camera lens turns into an instrument for terrorisation, or when people feel panic-stricken rather than observed, the conversation needs to shift.
The Independent
4 hours ago
- Health
- The Independent
Employment tribunal brought by nurse over trans doctor to resume
An employment tribunal brought by a nurse against a health board over a transgender doctor using a female changing room is set to resume on Wednesday. Sandie Peggie was suspended after she complained about having to share a changing room with transgender medic Dr Beth Upton at the NHS Fife hospital where they both worked. She took the health board and Dr Upton to tribunal, lodging a complaint of sexual harassment or harassment related to a protected belief under section 26 of the Equality Act 2010 regarding three incidents when they shared a changing room: indirect harassment, victimisation and whistleblowing. Employment tribunal hearings took place in Dundee in February and it was then adjourned until July. Ms Peggie was suspended from work at the Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy, Fife, on January 3 2024 after Dr Upton made an allegation of bullying and harassment, the tribunal heard earlier this year. The tribunal resumes after the UK Supreme Court ruled in April that the terms 'woman' and 'sex' in the 2010 Equality Act 'refer to a biological woman and biological sex', a ruling which has been publicly welcomed by Ms Peggie. The hearing starts again on Wednesday in Dundee and is expected to last 11 days. Last week it emerged NHS Fife has spent more than £220,000 defending itself in the employment tribunal. The extent of the costs was uncovered following an intervention by Scotland's information commissioner.
Times
4 hours ago
- Times
Take a sober look at staff drinking
Q: We want to encourage our teams not to get too drunk and to get home safely after our summer party and also at conferences they will attend in the second half of the year, in part to reduce the risk of claims of discrimination and harassment. Can we make line managers liable for ensuring events go smoothly and without issue? A: Work events involving alcohol inherently carry a higher risk of discrimination and harassment, and in these circumstances prevention is key. In fact, employers are under a legal duty to take proactive steps to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace, with risk assessments forming a key part of meeting this obligation. One key area of focus for any such risk assessment will be evaluating risks associated with workplace events, especially where alcohol or overnight stays are involved. Where things go wrong, an employer may be legally responsible for the acts and omissions of its employees, even where the event occurs outside work hours or at a non-work location. This is known as 'vicarious liability'. With a growing emphasis on preventing workplace discrimination and harassment, employers have a range of tools at their disposal, and managers are central to this. The first step is to ensure you have clear policies and procedures in place that set your expected standards of workplace conduct and the consequences of failure to comply. If you have not updated your policies and procedures in recent years, you should do so. We are seeing more extreme examples of misconduct in the workplace, including violence, discrimination and harassment. Your policies and procedures need to expressly deal with this and set out specific and comprehensive examples of the types of behaviour that will not be accepted. For example, you can explain that it is not acceptable to consume excessive amounts of alcohol or take drugs at work or workplace events and failure to comply will be treated as gross misconduct, which can lead to summary termination of employment. It is also recommended that employers implement a 'relationship policy', which essentially assumes all workplace relationships are non-consensual unless reported to the employer in writing in advance, particularly where alcohol is involved. Your policies should state that line managers are responsible for monitoring compliance with your policies and must escalate any issues to HR — and that if managers fail to do so, their own failure to act may also be treated as gross misconduct. Second, you need to train your managers and staff on these policies and ensure they understand their rights, obligations and roles in ensuring compliance and the consequences for them personally for failing to adhere to them. Third, it is essential that senior leaders and line managers lead by example and take a proactive approach. In many cases where serious incidents occur at workplace events, the perpetrator has previously engaged in low-level, 'testing the waters' behaviour that went unchallenged, ultimately escalating over time. To help mitigate risk at such events, consider appointing a designated manager responsible for overseeing the smooth running of the event and ensure they are aware of their personal obligations under your policies and procedures. It is also good practice to remind employees in advance that misconduct — including excessive alcohol consumption — is prohibited and may result in disciplinary action. If any employee appears to be drinking excessively, the designated manager should intervene, which may include sending the individual home and initiating disciplinary proceedings where appropriate. Ultimately, if you make your managers personally responsible for stamping out unlawful behaviour, you should expect to see an overall improvement in proactive management of problematic employees and a reduction in workplace issues. Michelle Last is an employment partner at Keystone Law
