Social worker victimised over menopause symptoms, tribunal hears

Maria Rooney gave evidence at an employment tribunal on Tuesday

A former children's social worker has told an employment tribunal she felt "colluded against" by a council due to suffering symptoms of menopause.

Maria Rooney has launched legal action against her former employers, Leicester City Council, claiming she was constructively dismissed from her job.

The 52-year-old told a hearing on Tuesday she had been bullied, harassed and intimidated by her managers.

The city council is contesting her claim.

Ms Rooney's case represents the first time an employment tribunal has considered symptoms of menopause as a disability.

In her witness statement, she said: "I had no other alternative but to resign from my social worker job after 12 years due to persistent and consistent management bullying, harassment, victimisation and discrimination, which has had a long-term and profound impact on me.

"I also believed that I was being victimised and harassed for raising valid, serious and important concerns in the workplace and that I was being treated unfairly.

"I raised serious concerns about management bullying, harassment and intimidation, not just towards myself but to other workers, on several occasions to different managers as I felt it was a health and safety concern, however, my complaints were all ignored."

She said the council breached her contract and unfairly dismissed her.

Absence procedures

Ms Rooney, a mother of two, said in her statement she began to suffer from perimenopausal symptoms at the end of 2016 and was experiencing work-related stress from the end of 2017.

This, she said, was due to "a lack of management support, being overloaded with cases and work and management bullying, harassment and intimidation".

Ms Rooney said she was off sick with stress at work from 6 December 2017 to 18 February 2018 and then again, due to stress, on 22 March 2018.

She claimed she was "harassed and intimidated via email" while off work.

She claimed that after returning, the council "failed to consider" the reasons for her absence and an occupational health report which advised adjustments be made so she could continue working.

Instead, she said, the authority instigated absence procedures.

Keith Bryant KC, representing the council, said to Ms Rooney: "In your witness statement you say all of your managers colluded against you."

Ms Rooney replied: "That is what it felt like."

She resigned as a Level 3 social worker in August 2018 and left the role in October of the same year.

Ms Rooney's case is being supported by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), which said all employers should support workers affected by menopause.

The tribunal continues.