By Ahmed Abdelsalam
A transport coordinator who was fired for bullying colleagues during a row over office furniture has been awarded £4,950 after an employment tribunal ruled she was wrongfully dismissed.
Furniture dispute sparks rage
Susanne Campbell, a transport coordinator at Booker Direct Limited in Larbert, Falkirk, became "fuming/raging" when she arrived at work on 5 February 2025 to find the shared office furniture rearranged without her agreement. She left work that day and remained absent for more than two weeks, describing herself as "emotional, distraught and disgusted".
Investigation uncovers bullying
After Campbell asked warehouse manager Melissa Kinahan to investigate the furniture change, interviews with six colleagues revealed allegations against Campbell herself. The investigation found she had called an administration worker a "f***ing part-timer", a "cow", "Little Miss Perfect", "it", "that", and a "jobsworth", and told the colleague she was a "waste of space". She also described the driver trainer's job as a "f***ing joke".
Tribunal rules on dismissal
A disciplinary hearing in June 2025 dismissed a claim of charity fund misappropriation but concluded Campbell's behaviour constituted bullying and harassment, amounting to gross misconduct under the company's zero-tolerance policy. She was dismissed on 5 August 2025 and her appeal was rejected.
Wrongful dismissal award
At the Glasgow Employment Tribunal, Judge Melanie Sangster found the dismissal fair on conduct grounds but ruled the company failed to follow proper procedure by not giving Campbell the statutory minimum 10 weeks' notice required by her length of service. The tribunal ordered Booker Direct to pay £4,949.40, representing 10 weeks' net pay at £494.94 per week, as damages for breach of contract.
