A former bank manager who was dismissed after she was accused of being rude and threatening towards customers has been awarded £7,500 after it was deemed that she was wrongfully dismissed.

Lynne Adams had been struggling to reach relevant sales targets after one of the products she excelled at selling was removed. Bosses at the bank had scrapped Payment Protection Insurance sales, which was Miss Adams strongest selling offering, following this and the dwindling of her sales, she struggled to hit all targets.

She had previously been considered to be one of the top performers at the bank; however, this soon changed once PPI was removed from the items sold by the firm.

Background to the Claim

Following the decision by the bank to scrap the selling of PPI, the sale level normally averaged by Miss Adams plummeted, with complaints of threats against customers and Miss Adams being overly direct. Following an extended time off and more sales training, the situation remained the same, with Miss Adams struggling to maintain the previously seen level of sales.

Attempted Employment Tribunal: Employment Tribunal Solicitors Aberdeen

Following the accusation that Miss Adams had been rude to clients once her sales bonuses had been removed and that she had incorrectly filled in loan reports, she was dismissed by the bank. She cited unfair dismissal opting to take the bank to an employment tribunal, and while it was deemed that the dismissal was “harsh” but not unfair, it was deemed that she had been wrongfully dismissed as the bank had failed to give her proper notice or let her serve her notice period.

Judge Walker said that while the TSB had reason to believe her mistakes were intentional, she did not believe that they were deliberate.

The judge said: "I accept that the claimant found the change in culture difficult and the impact on her was particularly acute. She had been a very high performer under the previous hard sell regime and had been valued and rewarded for her efforts both financially and with recognition and praise.

"She now found herself in a different regime where many of the products she had sold successfully had been removed and where she was no longer performing well.

"I have no doubt that she found this difficult and stressful, both in terms of job satisfaction and in being concerned as to how she could maintain her current salary."

She added: "However, I accept that the respondent had a genuine desire to change the culture and it was not unreasonable for an organisation that was striving to create a different culture and to be seen as focused on customer service to take a firm line with those who could no and who it believed would not work within that culture."

As a result of the action, she was awarded £7,500 in compensation for a wrongful dismissal.

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