Mental health | M&S said it could no longer support a depressed worker - a judge disagreed

A former M&S worker who was sacked after taking a long time off with mental health issues has won an unfair dismissal case against the company.

An employment tribunal heard that the retail giant sacked Deborah Daisy after she went off sick following a confrontation with a customer who refused to wear a mask while shopping during the November 2020 lockdown.

Daisy was verbally abused by the shopper, who acted aggressively enough to trigger Daisy’s memories of previous incidents such as witnessing an armed robbery.

As a result, she went off sick for five months while suffering with anxiety and depression, triggered by fears about being safe at work from both abusive customers and Covid.