Athlete Awarded £149,000 After Being Ordered To Travel Overnight For Meeting Her Boss Missed

Athlete Awarded £149,000 After Being Ordered to Travel Overnight for Meeting Her Boss Missed A British athlete who was instructed by her employer to travel overnight from Germany to the UK for a work meeting during an international sporting competition has been awarded more than £149,000 in compensation after an employment tribunal ruled in her favour. Beth Littlewood, a former European champion in canoe polo and personal trainer, said the compensation was “not just about me” but about standing up against workplace treatment she believed was unfair. The tribunal heard that in September 2023, Littlewood was competing at the Canoe Polo European Championships in Germany when she was instructed to attend a meeting in the UK with a senior manager from Nuffield Health. Concerned about a final written warning already on her record, she drove through the night across Europe to ensure she arrived on time.However, when she reached the club, she was informed that the manager she had been scheduled to meet was not there because he had attended training elsewhere after becoming double-booked. The tribunal heard that management had decided he should attend the training session instead.. The case formed part of a wider dispute between Littlewood and her employer. She had previously raised concerns about the conduct of a fitness manager, alleging bullying behaviour and wage issues after challenging a fitness test that she believed should not have been carried out on an individual with elevated blood pressure. According to the tribunal, her grievances were not upheld, and she later went on sick leave due to stress. She was subsequently subjected to disciplinary action over allegations relating to pay claims, which the judge later found should never have been escalated to that level. The tribunal concluded it was “wholly unreasonable” to accuse her of dishonesty. Employment Judge Samantha Moore found that the company had failed to properly engage with Littlewood regarding her return to work and that she had been entitled to take annual leave while on sick leave. The judge ruled in her favour and awarded compensation totalling £149,017. Speaking after the decision, Littlewood described the experience as a long and difficult process. She said the overnight journey from Germany for a meeting that never took place had been the “final straw” in her treatment by the company. Littlewood, who won European gold for Great Britain in 2019, has since stepped away from competitive canoe polo and now coaches the Danish women’s canoe polo team.