Sacked UK Social Media Worker Who Posted Just Six Times in December Wins £22K Payout

A social media manager at the National Museums of Scotland was awarded over £20,000 after being dismissed for infrequent posting and excessive typos.

An employment tribunal heard that digital content producer Anita Briggs posted just six times in one month, while a colleague managed 73. The hearing also revealed that she had repeatedly missed deadlines and made spelling errors for nearly two years, failing to meet the expected standard.

Dismal Posting Numbers Raise Red Flags

In one month, Briggs didn't produce any content, and what she did create was 'substantially below what was expected.' After failing three performance reviews, her supervisors lost 'faith' in her abilities, and she was dismissed.

Despite this, the tribunal found that she did not receive adequate warning regarding her potential dismissal, resulting in an award of £22,210 in compensation. The Scottish tribunal was informed that Briggs had been hired by the organisation in 2009 and held the position of Digital Media Content Producer.

Her responsibilities included planning, coordinating, and producing fresh content for the organisation's social media platforms, including Facebook, LinkedIn, and X. Employment Judge Stuart Nielson acknowledged that content creation was 'extremely important' to the organisation, which is primarily supported by the Scottish Government and manages four museums throughout the country.

These include the National Museum of Scotland and the National War Museum in Edinburgh, the National Museum of Rural Life in East Kilbride, and the National Museum of Flight in East Lothian. The tribunal learned that from 2021 to June 2023, Briggs reported to Digital Media Content Producer Russell Dornan.

Years Of Missed Deadlines And Errors

The tribunal heard that after joining, he 'had concerns' regarding the producer's performance, and in May 2022, they met to discuss these concerns. Briggs was then placed on an informal Personal Improvement Plan (PIP) and tasked with improving her attention to detail, increasing her output, and following established procedures.

The PIP ended after about six months, and the tribunal was told that Dornan believed there hadn't been any 'satisfactory improvement in performance.' At this point, the tribunal observed that Briggs was experiencing a 'number of challenging personal issues.'

Dornan proposed another informal PIP, but the tribunal heard that Briggs was 'not happy' with this suggestion and explained that there were 'reasons why she had not performed as might have been expected' that year. The content producer said she felt intimidated by Dornan, adding that she believed he 'has it in for me.'

PIP And Lack Of Improvement

Dornan left the following year, and Hannah Barton became her new manager. After completing her second PIP, her new manager concluded that Briggs had not met the set objectives.

From June to August 2023, Briggs 'produced only two pieces of content,' which was 'substantially below' her target, the tribunal heard. It was also mentioned that one of these 'required significant amendment.'

'Ms Barton considered that required performance had not been met as there were continued errors around typos, spelling, grammar and proofing; missed deadlines for producing content and a failure to follow processes for work allocation in line with wider team priorities,' Judge Nielson said.

After a period of sick leave, the content producer returned to work and was informed that a formal PIP would be implemented until January 2024. She was also advised that this process could conclude with a formal meeting, potentially leading to her dismissal.

However, only a month after its start, Briggs failed to create any content throughout November. In December, she produced six social media posts, which was 'substantially below' expectations, particularly compared to a colleague who created 73.

The Road To Dismissal

Following her failure in another PIP hearing, Briggs was called to a formal hearing where Barton expressed her lack of confidence in the producer's ability to design, coordinate, and deliver the required content. The content producer was subsequently dismissed due to a lack of capability.

Her appeal against the decision was unsuccessful, leading Briggs to take the museum to an employment tribunal, claiming unfair dismissal. The employee asserted that there had been a 'long-standing orchestrated campaign to terminate her employment.'

The tribunal acknowledged that there were 'clearly concerns' regarding Briggs's performance in her role at the museum and recognised the extended period during which her 'performance was under scrutiny.'

Social Media Worker Wins Big

'There was simply no evidence of any conspiracy or campaign to terminate the employment of [Ms Briggs] for a reason other than capability,' Judge Nielson said. Briggs' claim was successful after the tribunal determined that she had not received any formal warnings regarding her potential dismissal.

'The Tribunal concludes that it is not as there were no formal warnings issued in terms of the Performance Policy,' Judge Nielson said. '[Ms Briggs] has a legitimate expectation that the [museum] will follow the terms of the Performance Policy, and it would be reasonable to expect at least one level of formal warning prior to dismissal. That did not happen here,' Judge Nielson added.

The panel determined that Briggs had been unfairly dismissed and ordered The Trustees of the National Museums of Scotland to pay her £22,210.75 in compensation.