A JUDGE found an employee at a Hereford care home was unfairly dismissed and ordered employers to pay compensation.

Donna Wills worked at the Oaklands Nursing Home in Bodenham Road in Hereford as an administration assistant.

She started working there in February 2010 and over time her role changed to include providing activities for residents.

Miss Wills, age 43, was diagnosed with fibromyalgia in 2013, which caused pain throughout her body.

She said 11 months before she went off sick she asked for a table and chair to be provided for her.

Miss Wills, who lives in Richmond Street in Hereford, said: "I needed it because of fibromyalgia and back problems. I needed an hour every day to type up notes for the CQC to show evidence of the residents doing activities."

But she said she was told she could use a laptop on her lap, and she said recommendations from an occupation health assessment were ignored.

In November 2014 she went off sick and in March 2016 she was dismissed.

The judge ruled she was unfairly dismissed but added that if a reasonable procedure had been followed she would have been dismissed four months later.

He ordered the home owners to pay Miss Wills £2,304.80 for unfair dismissal and £7,000 for injury to feelings, along with 10 per cent of the total payable, due to the respondents' failure to follow the ACAS code of practice on disciplinary and grievance procedures.

The judge also said the respondents failed to make reasonable adjustments by not allowing her to use a desk and chair in the manager's office and by failing to allow her to return to work from sick leave on a phased basis.

The judge said the dismissal was unjustified unfavourable treatment because of her sickness absence.

Rosemin Mawji, owner of the home, said: "I have been at this home for nearly 14/15 years and it is the first tribunal I have ever had and I have staff who have been working here since day one.

"It was very regrettable that this did happen and the judge's finding, because of Donna's relationships with various members of staff."

But she said: "The only thing was my final letter did not follow the format it was supposed to. That is why they decided it was unfair dismissal."

Ms Mawji said Miss Wills reported the home to the safeguarding team at Herefordshire Council and they found there was no case to answer.