An HMRC trainee has been awarded more than £16,000 in compensation after an employment tribunal found that serious allegations made against her were fabricated.
The trainee, known as Ms X, had been accused of saying she wanted to use her position at HMRC to “kill Russians for killing her family”.
But the tribunal heard that she never made the comments attributed to her.
Instead, the judge found that her line manager had invented the allegations and made false notes about a private meeting with the trainee.
Ms X, originally from Abkhazia in Georgia, speaks English with a Russian accent. She was granted asylum in the UK in 2004 and subsequently became a British citizen.
The case raises questions about the importance of accurate records, proper management procedures and fairness when serious allegations are made in the workplace.
I have to say, I didn't have "kill Russians" on my HMRC bingo card!
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