Mental Health | Suicidal employee sent 'appalling' legal threat in unfair dismissal case

A man working for the NHS was dismissed after disclosing that he was experiencing suicidal thoughts in a case described as “appalling” by a judge.

HSJ reports that the judgment, delivered at Norwich Employment Tribunal in January, ruled Gordon Flemming’s claim that he was unfairly dismissed was “well-founded”.

Flemming had contacted the then human resources director Ruth McAll’s assistant, and Paul Henry, assistant director of operations support. He accused the trust of corporate bullying and said he had considered suicide.

“I am suffering from a severe and crippling mental illness,” he wrote.