A veteran dental nurse has been awarded more than $34,000 in compensation after an employment tribunal found she had been subjected to persistent bullying and belittling by a colleague at an Edinburgh dental practice.
Maureen Howieson, 64, who had spent over four decades working in dentistry, told the tribunal she endured repeated eye-rolling, rudeness, and hostility from a newly appointed dental therapist at Great Junction Dental Practice, Metro UK reports. The strained relationship ultimately left her suffering a panic attack at work and resigning from her post in October 2024.
Howieson, who had transitioned to working primarily on reception due to arthritis, said tensions arose soon after Jisna Iqbal joined the practice last July, according to a report by The Times. While Iqbal was qualified as a dentist in India, she was not permitted to practise dentistry in the UK at the time. Despite this, tribunal documents revealed she began taking over Howieson’s reception duties without consultation, creating friction between the two.
Colleagues testified that Iqbal frequently refused to perform certain tasks, adopting a dismissive attitude toward Howieson and “repeatedly” rolling her eyes whenever she spoke. One example cited during the hearing was when Iqbal was asked to clean a toilet area before an inspection. She allegedly refused, declaring: “She was a dentist.” Another dentist at the practice, Daniela Siersch, corroborated Howieson’s account, confirming that Iqbal was often uncooperative and rude, accordig to the Daily Mail.
The tribunal also heard that Howieson suffered a panic attack as the situation escalated, leaving her in tears before she decided to resign. Employment Judge Ronald Mackay ruled that the practice had failed in its duty of care to protect her, noting the management was fully aware of the ongoing issues but “did nothing to stop it.”
Judge Mackay added that the clinic had committed “multiple repudiatory breaches” of contract, amounting to unfair constructive dismissal. “Assurances given to her were not kept,” he said, concluding that Howieson had been left in an “ongoing hostile working environment.”
Great Junction Dental Practice was ordered to pay Howieson $34,000 in compensation.
The case has also drawn wider attention to the issue of workplace bullying. The National Bullying Helpline defines it as repeated emotional or physical abuse designed to undermine and intimidate. In a statement, the organisation warned that bullying often extends into digital spaces such as emails and social media, and stressed that UK employers have a legal “Duty of Care” to provide a safe, respectful, and stress-free workplace.