A former John Lewis employee claims she quit her job after her employers failed to take steps to help her carry out her work while dealing with anxiety.
Sian Young worked in the children’s shoe department on the ground floor of the Bon Accord and St Nicholas Centre store between 2015 and 2017.
But she handed in her notice in September last year amid claims there was a series of problems.
She claims her employers did not take reasonable steps to help her deal with her mental health disability.
Giving evidence at the Aberdeen Employment Centre, she said that she suffered anxiety problems relating to traumatic incidents in her past.
The employment tribunal heard that she was previously homeless for seven years and she said she could be pushed into “street mode girl” where she became defensive and swore at people.
Central to her claim against her former employer is that she required enough notice before a meeting took place so she had time to compose herself.
Miss Young, who now works as a health coach and lives in Southsea in England, said coaches kept an eye on her work and she failed her objectives.
She said: “Selling coaches are some people that John Lewis stores employ to watch people selling and watch how they speak and how they look at the customer and how they interact.”
Miss Young said she was then summoned to a meeting where she was told she was “good” but had failed the test which prompted her to swear.
She also highlighted a separate incident where she was reprimanded for being on a website behind a till which was not related to her work.
The former shop worker claimed she was approached from behind and summoned into a room with her manager who spoke to her about the incident and she then swore and referred to employees as being “snitchy”.
She said she was disciplined and given a final written warning in April last year, despite apologising profusely for the incident.
Miss Young told the hearing that after a period where she had been off work regularly she was referred to occupational health and was then advised to carry out sessions of cognitive behavioural therapy to help her confront previously troubling issues in her life.
John Lewis denies any allegations of wrongdoing.
The hearing, before employment judge Nick Hosie, continues.
