£440K For 'hurt Feelings'

[joeluke]

Everything that's wrong with this country's compensation system

Nearly £½million for his 'hurt feelings' because he wasn't man enough to deal with colleagues banter over his OTT actions during pensioners arrest

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2552186/Policeman-given-430-000-payout-humiliation-suffered-video-using-truncheon-smash-pensioners-window-went-viral-online.html

[factor-fiction]

I assume the employer didn't follow the correct process in dismissing him. And what is banter to some is bullying to others. I am not comfortable with the size of the payout though. If it's to cover lost income and pension rights then surely they should deduct tax and NI and maybe the travel to work costs he's saved

[mikey4444]

I have rarely heard such nonsense. He was completely exonerated by the enquiry, so I can't understand why he has been awarded this huge amount of money from public funds. Ludicrous !

[Baldric]

Just a tad heavy handed imo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNDqmZyApRo

[mikey4444]

They all appear to have behaved like tw*ts Baldric, I have to admit, but £440k does seem a bit high under the circumstances. About £439,999 too much in fact.

[Canary42]

Just another example of our Blame and Claim culture nurtured so fondly by the No Win No Fee rogues.

[zebo]

If I thought I could screw 440K out of the system, I too would manage to get hurt feelings. The line between banter and "bullying" is ridiculously fine, especially with a cash incentive. Often wonder what became of Spotty Muldoon, the lad in our class with acne, I'm sure he survived, compensation for hurt feelings hadn't been invented then.

[factor-fiction]

Sorry ignore my first post- it was constructive dismissal not a dismissal.
But it was judged to be constructive dismissal so are we saying employers should tolerate bullying and not follow proper procedures, and people should have no rights to compensation?

[Baldric]

I hadn't realised The Thin Blue Line was such a sensitive little thing!

[ummmm]

Zebo..." Often wonder what became of Spotty Muldoon, the lad in our class with acne, I'm sure he survived"

I'm sure he did but might be very insecure and have very low self esteem.

[joeluke]

factor.....compensation where it's due - yes

This copper was man enough to violently smash a pensioners car window but not man enough to handle colleagues taking the p1ss out of the incident

Harmless banter and p1ss taking should not be classed as bullying, it's part of everyday life and the best way to deal with it is to always have a retort ready to fire back at the p1ss-taker

[factor-fiction]

>Harmless banter and p1ss taking should not be classed as bullying,

Well that is a fine (blue?) line, but the courts must have decided that it was sufficient to say the employer should have protected him better

[Baldric]

Watching the Video I noticed he was 'quite compact' when compared to his fellow Officers, so I wonder if it was;
Napoleon complex, or "short man syndrome", which is a pejorative slang term describing a type of psychological phenomenon which is said to exist in people, usually men, of short stature. It is characterized by overly-aggressive or domineering social behaviour, and carries the implication that such behaviour is compensatory for the subjects' stature.
It was certainly 'compensatory' in this case.

[vulcan42]

According to report the policeman walked out, how is that constructive dismissal?

[factor-fiction]

That's what constructive dismissal are always about, vulvcan. The employee walks out and claims it was forced upon him by the employer's actions/lack of actions

[factor-fiction]

I'm not entirely comfortable with this case but it was decided by a court. We can't change it or stop the tide of these claims. The employer here could appeal but I doubt they will

[joggerjayne]

Just watched the clip.

He got ridiculed? All I can say is ...

Ha ha haaa haaa haaaaaa haaaaaa ....

Bwaaaaaaahhhhh haaaaaaaa haaaaaaaa haaaaaaaa haaaaaaa

I hoe there's lots and lots more ridicule to come.

[vulcan42]

Thanks factor-fiction, does the employee have to prove (and how?) his employers inaction?

[joeluke]

No mention in the report of his colleague who jumped on the Range Rover bonnet and smashed in the windscreen - I'm sure he received his fair share of ridicule too......but was obviously man enough to handle it

'Mr Baillon, who has since set up a business selling wooden reindeer'

Says it all really!

[FredPuli43]

Bizarre, but the size of the payout is not damages for hurt feelings. To get that level of damages he'd had to have suffered something like a crippling injury. It is to do with his existing financial rights consequent upon his contract being wrongfully terminated. He'd probably have the same entitlement if he had to retire early.

[Dodger666]

He probably walked out after the Police Federation Rep told him if he did he could bring a case of constructive dismissal and gets loads of compo.