Royal Mail ‘destroyed’ worker’s life

A JUDGE has accused Royal Mail of “destroying” the life of an employee who suffered lengthy bullying after highlighting a potential fraud.

Bosses were told if they had a “shred of decency” they would swiftly pay Kam Jhuti more than £100,000 in awarded damages.

The media specialist was harassed by her boss Mike Widmer after she raised concerns that a colleague had secured their bonus illegitimately, an employment tribunal heard

Ms Jhuti was fired and suffered severe depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Her seven-year case went as far as the Supreme Court.

As part of £109,065 compensation, the Royal Mail was ordered to pay £12,500 in aggravated damages for its “high-handed, malicious, insulting and oppressive” conduct of the case, in particular its cross-examination.

Employment judge Richard Baty said: “Whilst as a rule we try to avoid language which might be deemed intemperate, it is nonetheless true to say that [Royal Mail’s] treatment of [Ms Jhuti] has destroyed [her] life. The resolution of these employment tribunal proceedings is necessary as a prerequisite to Ms Jhuti beginning to make any sort of recovery.”

She began work in a MarketReach unit in London in September 2013. The next month she suspected a colleague was breaching company policy, obtaining a bonus for herself and indirectly securing Mr Widmer’s.

She told Mr Widmer who said false accusations would “impact” her job. He set up “intensive” weekly meetings just for her and repeatedly said her progress was disappointing.

Ms Jhuti emailed HR, saying his conduct was due to her whistleblowing, but was told “he would be the one to be believed”. She was signed off work in March 2014 with workrelated anxiety and depression and did not return, being sacked that July.

Her appeal was dismissed in 2015 but the Supreme Court finally ruled in her favour.