Worker scarred by cancer wins £7k payout after insult from c

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Worker scarred by cancer wins £7k payout after insult from colleague

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A SECURITY guard whose face has been scarred for life by skin cancer has won a £7,000 payout after being dubbed "Silicon Valley" by a work colleague.

Keith Deaville, above, suffered daily taunts from a work-mate at Etruria's Royal Mail call centre over a plastic mask he wore following surgery.

The 54-year-old's torment had started shortly after he returned to work in July 2009 following a second operation to remove a cancerous growth from his cheek.

Now Keith, of Ridgway Road, Hanley, has been awarded £7,000 at an employment tribunal after a judge ruled he had been singled out because of his disability.

Keith said today: "Before I had the prosthesis, which has artificially covered the mark on my cheek, I used to wear a plaster to cover the mark.

"I would walk two miles to Lloyds pharmacy, in Fenton, because I found its plasters were the nearest to my skin tone. Most people at work knew what I had been through and they'd done a collection for me. It was really touching.

"But there was one man who made my life a nightmare."

Keith started work at Royal Mail as a contractor with security firm Mitie in 2006 and was diagnosed with skin cancer in 2008. He still works at the site.

In other incidents the man would tap Keith on the shoulder but then run off, or ask for change only to not want the cash after all.

He made two complaints to Royal Mail and the man was sacked after the second complaint in October last year.

Keith added: "He would call me Silicon Valley. He said: 'You know what they make there, don't you?' and would point at his chest, implying I had breast implants on my face. It was very degrading.

"This complaint should never have got this far and I hope that no-one else has to go through the same ordeal."

Keith, who lives with wife Bizu, pursued a disability discrimination claim against the Royal Mail Group.

Sean O'Brien, representing Keith at the two-day tribunal in Birmingham, said his client was bullied and harassed and accused Royal Mail of not doing anything about the situation after the first incident.

Judge Karen Tucker told the tribunal: "Mr Deaville acted with dignity and considerable restraint despite being relentlessly humiliated and degraded by an employee who wilfully tormented him."

Royal Mail today stressed it has a zero tolerance approach to bullying and harassment.

A Royal Mail spokesman said: "We were shocked and appalled at the actions of the individual and he has been dismissed.

"We have a clear bullying and harassment policy and Royal Mail employees are trained, and constantly reminded, of the standards of behaviour expected from them. We await the full written judgment of the tribunal and will review their comments once received."

[Stormproof]

Does'nt say if the bully was a postal worker or a manager or was it another security guard

[Straight4ward]

Does'nt say if the bully was a postal worker or a manager or was it another security guard

Either way, glad they sacked the f*cker. What a complete turd!

[PhilthyPhil]

Keith added: "He would call me Silicon Valley. He said: 'You know what they make there, don't you?' and would point at his chest, implying I had breast implants on my face. It was very degrading.

What a retard. Its called silicon valley because there is a high concentration of technology firms based there which manufacture silicon chips, nothing what-so-ever to do with silicone implants as it is a completely different material.

[NWpostie]

Keith added: "He would call me Silicon Valley. He said: 'You know what they make there, don't you?' and would point at his chest, implying I had breast implants on my face. It was very degrading.

What a retard. Its called silicon valley because there is a high concentration of technology firms based there which manufacture silicon chips, nothing what-so-ever to do with silicone implants as it is a completely different material.

You're talking about somebody with an IQ of 6, such people don't see beyond their nose and has no comprehension of the impact of bullying.

[Typing Monkey]

Does'nt say if the bully was a postal worker or a manager or was it another security guard

It was one of the MDKs, hence why things went the way they did. Keith is employed by Mitie, not Royal Mail, the keyer did what they did, managers did sweet FA about it, hence why Keith took it to tribunal.

[brothermagrew]

Royal Mail employees are trained, and constantly reminded, of the standards of behaviour expected from them.

Question has to be asked then why didn't the Royal Mail managers do anything about it and were any of them severely reprimanded for their inactions.

[Typing Monkey]

Royal Mail employees are trained, and constantly reminded, of the standards of behaviour expected from them.

Question has to be asked then why didn't the Royal Mail managers do anything about it and were any of them severely reprimanded for their inactions.

Given the number of grievances and complaints of bullying that have been submitted against the head of Stoke MDEC, given that he was the manager supposedly dealing with this situation, the fact that they are still in post shows much action Royal Mail is willing to take against managers and their wrongdoing.

[Postal1]

I wonder what it's called when your lino stands behind you with his mobile timing you throwing the walk in.

[POSTMAN]

I wonder what it's called when your lino stands behind you with his mobile timing you throwing the walk in.

A gate meeting.

[not me]

who is paying the £7K?

[TrueBlueTerrier]

who is paying the £7K?

Royal Mail as it was a RM employee doing the bullying and it was reported through their managerial chain. He probably reported it through his own firm but they would not have been much they could do other than tell RM managers and we know what happened there.