£27k payout | Nursing home worker unfairly dismissed after taking cat to vet during work hours

An administrator at a nursing home was unfairly dismissed after her employer accused her of fraudulent timesheet entries - allegations triggered when she took her cat to the vet during work hours.

An employment tribunal ruled that Astley House Nursing Home Ltd acted unfairly and wrongfully in dismissing Mrs L Murray, awarding her over £27,000 in compensation, including lost wages and unauthorised deductions from her salary.

Concerns raised over a vet visit

Mrs Murray, who had worked as an administrator at the North Berwick care home since 2019, was dismissed in July 2024 after her employer accused her of falsifying timesheets to claim unauthorised overtime. The issue first came to light in June 2024 when the home’s deputy manager queried whether Mrs Murray had clocked out while taking her cat to the vet.

This concern was then escalated to the care group’s owner, Ms Chohan, who examined Mrs Murray’s timesheets and found she had regularly worked beyond her contracted 35 hours per week. Without discussing the matter with Mrs Murray, the employer decided to “ping back” her recorded hours, reducing her pay.