A Nurse Received Good Compensation for a Colleague's Rudeness (4 photos)
A nurse who repeatedly faced 'eye-rolling' from a colleague has been awarded more than £25,000 in damages by a court. 
Maureen Howieson has been awarded £25,254 after a court found she was 'bullied and humiliated' at Great Junction Dental Practice in Edinburgh.
A new dental therapist, Jisna Iqbal, arrived at the hospital in July last year and took an immediate dislike to the 64-year-old. The woman had worked in healthcare for over 40 years, but arthritis meant she could no longer perform her previous duties. Her main job became recording patients.
Iqbal, originally from India, was not yet licensed to practice medicine in the UK. Court documents say she took over some of Maureen's responsibilities without her knowledge. Iqbal refused to do certain tasks, was rude, and often rolled her eyes when Howieson spoke to her. 
Dentist Daniela Zirsch corroborated Howieson's account. She also mentioned an incident in which Iqbal refused to do the job. When asked to clean the toilet, she claimed to be a dentist.
In October 2024, Howieson decided to quit her job after suffering a panic attack at work. 
Jisna Iqbal
Dr. Fari Johnson Vithayal acknowledged that Iqbal had problems but took no action.
Judge Ronald Mackay ruled in Howieson's favor, saying Great Junction Dental had failed to manage a hostile work environment.
McKay stressed that the employer was aware of what was happening but did nothing. In addition, the clinic committed “numerous breaches of contract” and unfairly dismissed the nurse. 
