Dismissal | Employee fired for online shopping wins huge payout

We’ve all been guilty of using some spare time in our working day to browse online for that all-important outfit for the weekend or to order a birthday present for a loved one, but have we ever stopped to think that this could be a sacking offence?

A single mother who worked at Finlayson’s law firm in Kilwinning was removed from her role after her boss’s wife raised some concerns regarding her browsing habits, despite not being told that she couldn’t use the internet during her breaks – The Times reported.

Following the secretary’s dismissal, Ashley McMahon has since been awarded a £16,000 payout after being unlawfully sacked.

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Back in October 2017 McMahon was confronted by Joan Finlayson, who managed the office on behalf of her husband William, where she left McMahon feeling ‘flustered’ and ‘close to tears’.