And the REAL story is?
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And the REAL story is?
The Sunday Mail
3 September 2006
I'M AIR SICK
999 helicopter heroine sues bosses for bullying
By Russell Findlay
http://www.sundaymail.co.uk/news/tm_...name_page.html
3 September 2006
I'M AIR SICK
999 helicopter heroine sues bosses for bullying
By Russell Findlay
AN air ambulance heroine claims she was forced out of her job by bullying bosses.
Mum-of-two Linda Irving, 40, was presented with an award by First Minister Jack McConnell as Scotland's only female air ambulance paramedic.
But she quit the Scottish Ambulance Service after suffering depression and post-traumatic stress. Linda flew on missions across Scotland on Helimed 5 before joining a paramedic team in Balfron, Stirlingshire.
Now she is suing ambulance chiefs after 15 years of saving lives.
Linda claims she:
Was victimised by management who tried to make her attend training on her days off, forcing her to be on stand-by for 116 hours non-stop.
Received threatening phone calls to her home while off sick, telling her she would do as she was told by bosses.Mum-of-two Linda Irving, 40, was presented with an award by First Minister Jack McConnell as Scotland's only female air ambulance paramedic.
But she quit the Scottish Ambulance Service after suffering depression and post-traumatic stress. Linda flew on missions across Scotland on Helimed 5 before joining a paramedic team in Balfron, Stirlingshire.
Now she is suing ambulance chiefs after 15 years of saving lives.
Linda claims she:
Was victimised by management who tried to make her attend training on her days off, forcing her to be on stand-by for 116 hours non-stop.
A friend said: "The SAS recently offered Linda an out-of-court settlement but she is pursuing further legal action.
"While working on Helimed 5 she was witness to incompetence from the management - quite often the aircraft would not fly for days on end.
"She had to take a grievance against the SAS as she was the only person not being paid according to her terms and conditions - coincidentally, she was the only female.
"She won that grievance and received several thousand pounds in back pay but only after it went to chief executive level and senior union officials got involved. The SAS conducted an investigation into Linda's complaint and found in her favour. They quickly rescinded this and reinvestigated, ignoring all the damning facts."
Linda claims she was told she would attend training in Stirling Royal Infirmary on her three days off and would not be paid overtime.
This would mean working 10 days in a row including an 'on call' weekend. She also claimed she was expected to work or be on standby for a 116 hours.
The friend said: "Linda was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.
"Despite occupational health, Linda's psychologist and her GP telling management to leave her alone she continued to be harassed. "This included two phone calls to her home by another senior manager in which she was told, 'Do what you are told'."
Linda retired from the service last year and was refused a pension. She has started a business as a hypnotherapist and is doing well.
Last year, SAS officials were slammed in a damning report for a litany of failings - including staff safety concerns.
An SAS spokesman said: "There is an ongoing legal process and until it is concluded we are unable to discuss the matter."
"While working on Helimed 5 she was witness to incompetence from the management - quite often the aircraft would not fly for days on end.
"She had to take a grievance against the SAS as she was the only person not being paid according to her terms and conditions - coincidentally, she was the only female.
"She won that grievance and received several thousand pounds in back pay but only after it went to chief executive level and senior union officials got involved. The SAS conducted an investigation into Linda's complaint and found in her favour. They quickly rescinded this and reinvestigated, ignoring all the damning facts."
Linda claims she was told she would attend training in Stirling Royal Infirmary on her three days off and would not be paid overtime.
This would mean working 10 days in a row including an 'on call' weekend. She also claimed she was expected to work or be on standby for a 116 hours.
The friend said: "Linda was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.
"Despite occupational health, Linda's psychologist and her GP telling management to leave her alone she continued to be harassed. "This included two phone calls to her home by another senior manager in which she was told, 'Do what you are told'."
Linda retired from the service last year and was refused a pension. She has started a business as a hypnotherapist and is doing well.
Last year, SAS officials were slammed in a damning report for a litany of failings - including staff safety concerns.
An SAS spokesman said: "There is an ongoing legal process and until it is concluded we are unable to discuss the matter."
http://www.sundaymail.co.uk/news/tm_...name_page.html
The Veloceraptor of Lounge Lizards
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Not sure what the real story is, but someone should point out to the lady that PTSD is brought on by life threatening events to ones self or in rare cases others. Be interested to know if she has been dignosed with PTSD.
As for the rest of it there is always a lot more that we never hear about
As for the rest of it there is always a lot more that we never hear about
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NL and VH:
The rest of the story is:
If Linda Irving’s allegations are proved true, the organization pays and the managers who made her life miserable keep their jobs. If those allegations are not proved to be true, Linda Irving will be painted as a disgruntled employee who couldn’t hack it and management was within their purview to harass the piss out of her until she left – after 15 years on the job? Seems to me prior to the 15 year mark, someone in management could have figured out she couldn’t do the work, no? Either way, rinse and repeat, because these managers will be emboldened – they can act the same way without consequence.
A side story: There’s a pending lawsuit in the U.S. right now, brought by a pilot against a major EMS helicopter vendor citing undue influence by hospital personnel in the vendor’s dismissal of this pilot. I don’t know this pilot or the details of any of the allegations – true or false, but how would you like some person not even in your chain of supervision, without any aviation background, potentially having that kind of influence on your employment? Stressful? You bet.
Ron Powell
The rest of the story is:
If Linda Irving’s allegations are proved true, the organization pays and the managers who made her life miserable keep their jobs. If those allegations are not proved to be true, Linda Irving will be painted as a disgruntled employee who couldn’t hack it and management was within their purview to harass the piss out of her until she left – after 15 years on the job? Seems to me prior to the 15 year mark, someone in management could have figured out she couldn’t do the work, no? Either way, rinse and repeat, because these managers will be emboldened – they can act the same way without consequence.
A side story: There’s a pending lawsuit in the U.S. right now, brought by a pilot against a major EMS helicopter vendor citing undue influence by hospital personnel in the vendor’s dismissal of this pilot. I don’t know this pilot or the details of any of the allegations – true or false, but how would you like some person not even in your chain of supervision, without any aviation background, potentially having that kind of influence on your employment? Stressful? You bet.
Ron Powell
At least she has a chance at winning being female....a middle aged english speaking heterosexual white single guy is a dead loser in these things. All the government agencies begin their investigation by seeking the demographics of the complainant....then ask what happened.
