Forklift driver fired for silence during leave

News Story
- 13 Sep 2007 ( #327 ) - United Kingdom
1 min read
A forklift driver who took time off to console his grieving girlfriend was sacked for failing to notify his employer of his absence.

Brian Cowell, 48, has lashed out at waste company Viridor, calling their treatment of him "disgusting".

Cowell, Bridgwater Mercury reported, was given compassionate leave after his partner Jackie Richmond's 23-year-old son went missing while fishing off the Dorset Coast on July 22.

His body was found on August 9.

"These past five weeks, I have been comforting my girlfriend and making arrangements for the funeral.

"I think they have probably done this because I couldn't phone up every day," Cowell says.

A Viridor spokesman says Cowell had instructions to stay in touch with the company through a 24-hour hotline, which he failed to use.

"[Viridor] sent him a series of letters asking him to let us know what was happening and when there was no response to those, he was sent a letter [of termination]."

He adds that Cowell can appeal the decision.
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Inside The News
This week Forkliftaction News is celebrating its 25th anniversary! A wonderful achievement given we launched at a time when just 6% of the world’s population were internet users, according to Internet World Stats . Over the coming weeks, we will be sharing stories about our history and rolling out more celebrations, so keep an eye out... Continue reading

Are you recruiting? Find your ideal candidate among a diverse range of materials handling professionals:

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Are you recruiting? Find your ideal candidate among a diverse range of materials handling professionals:

Forkliftaction's JOB MARKET

Since July 2000, Forkliftaction News has been your guide to the developments that are shaping your industry.

Starting today we are also looking back on some of the key news stories from our extensive news archive.

In the news email and on the website, you'll see links to stories that were 'leading our news' multiple years ago, with topics spanning world-first products, big acquisitions, and major industry shifts.
We hope you enjoy this unique insight into the materials handling industry!