Airport security worker claims he suffered 'mental turmoil' following colleagues' ridicule

Dublin Airport . Photograph: Sam Boal / RollingNews.ie

A Dublin Airport security worker has told the Workplace Relations Commission said he suffered “mental turmoil” following alleged ridicule and bullying by co-workers.

The alleged abuse happened after a photograph of the worker playing golf was downloaded from the internet and uploaded onto a work computer.

The WRC heard the Daa employee complained about how he claims he was treated.

But he later resigned from his job, claiming — unsuccessfully — he had been constructively dismissed.

The WRC heard that on July 1, 2019, a personal photo of the man was saved to the screensaver of a work computer used as a training tool for Airport Search Unit employees.

The complainant first found out about the picture the next day when he was confronted by a staff member who showed it to the complainant while — he says — laughing at the same time.

As the day went on, more staff approached the complainant about the picture, commenting on his appearance and — he claimed — laughing about it.

The complainant told his supervisor about the photo and how he was being made to feel by his colleagues.

He claims the supervisor at the time showed “very little interest in the matter” and so he informed his duty manager, saying that it was causing him a lot of stress and anxiety.

The duty manager asked Dublin Airport’s IT department to take the photo down, which it did.

Signs were later put up warning that any staff member caught using computers for anything other than work purposes could be sacked.

Claims the bullying escalated

The complainant claims these signs only furthered the amount of bullying he received.

He told the WRC that colleagues subsequently confronted him “in a more aggressive manner” and accused him of trying to get people sacked.

On July 4, the complainant took the matter to the human resources department, and he asked to be transferred out of the unit in which he was working.

As a result, he was deployed to the VIP screening area, but he claims he was still confronted by other staff members about how he had handled the issue and that they told him they would never forget it.

The WRC heard “it was after all of this that the complainant could take no more of the mental abuse, bullying by his colleagues” and he was signed off as unfit for work by a doctor.

He also requested a copy of the company’s grievance procedure.

When he found out that the process could take a long time, he said he was not prepared to put himself through anymore “mental turmoil” and he felt he had no option but to leave his position.

His constructive dismissal claim to the WRC, however, failed.

The adjudication officer said:

I believe that the response of the (Daa) to the issue was reasonable.

“Any further action in relation to bullying would have required the complainant to identify the people against whom he had a complaint if he required formal action to be taken.

“A grievance procedure existed within the Daa and the complainant was aware of this procedure. He did not use this procedure.

“The complainant was aware of the grievance procedure and did not use it and did not show that the procedure was unfair. I conclude therefore, that the complainant has failed to show that a dismissal occurred, and he was not unfairly dismissed.”