Female PC who can't work in the cold wins £40k tribunal payout

A SCOTS police officer has won more than £40,000 for victimisation after her boss “attacked” her because she can’t work in cold weather.

- By Charlie Bradley

PC Denise Gemmell was “ambushed” by her inspector after she explained her rare health condition prevents her from working in “inclement” conditions, an employment tribunal found. She insists she has “no choice” but to phone in sick during winter months because snow and icy conditions aggravate her neuralgia, which causes intense nerve pain.

During a meeting with Inspector Stephen Gow, he grilled her over what she meant by “inclement weather”.

The Glasgow Employment Tribunal also heard that Inspector Gow questioned her condition by asking if she just avoided work “when you don’t fancy the weather?”

PC Gemmell was also subjected to a series of other “vindictive” comments

Accident

by Insp Gow. The Glasgow-based police officer has now won £43,092 in compensation after she successfully sued Police Scotland for victimisation over the meeting.

PC Gemmell has been a serving officer for 26 years. In 2014 she was involved in an accident that left her with neuralgia.