Dundee care worker tells tribunal nun picked on her

A Dundee care-home assistant left her job at a Catholic old people’s home after being “picked on daily” by a nun, an employment tribunal heard yesterday.

Liz Bruce, who worked at the city’s St Joseph’s convent, a care home run by The Little Sisters of the Poor, is claiming constructive dismissal.

Mrs Bruce, 56, resigned from her job of 20 years last July, after being “picked on daily” by Irish nun Sister Veronica Walker.

Yesterday she told the tribunal that Sister Veronica ignored her, accused her of laziness and of taking long breaks that meant other workers couldn’t take theirs.

Mrs Bruce also claimed she was reprimanded for sweating as she worked in the hot kitchen. She said: “Sister Veronica was always picking on me and nitpicking at everything I did. One day she told me off for sweating, even though I was in the kitchen and it was hot.

“She accused me of leaving the lights on in all of the residents’ rooms. But I didn’t leave all the lights on, just in the ones where the residents would soon be going back to. I liked to have it nicely lit and welcoming for them to come back to.

“We had a visitor one day, and Sister Veronica pointed to a chair and in front of everyone said that it was where I put my backside all day.

“I loved my job, but she forced me out of it. I could no longer work under the culture of bullying and false allegations.”

Tom Muirhead, solicitor for The Little Sisters of the Poor, asked Mrs Bruce if she had a short temper.

She said: “No, I just speak up for myself.

“I loved working with the residents and I was good at my job, but I couldn’t work with that lady. It was affecting my health.”

Mother Superior of the home, Mother Bernard also gave evidence at the tribunal, and admitted she had no problem with Sister Veronica’s attitude towards Mrs Bruce.

She said: “Liz Bruce had problems with Sister Veronica, but she always had problems with any new sister.

“I felt that Sister Veronica acted properly at all times.

“I told Liz that she was the one with the grievance and she was the one who put herself in that position of resigning.”

The tribunal continues.