A coach driver who was sacked by Edinburgh-based Rabbies Trail Burners after being given a single bad review on the Trip Advisor website has been awarded more than £2,600 by an employment tribunal.
David Marshall was deemed to be unfairly dismissed after being sacked in February following a three-day trip to Skye. The tribunal heard how he was due to take his party to Eilean Donan Castle, Rossshire, in January this year, but after the castle was closed he decided to stop off at Inverness instead.
Marshall insisted he consulted everyone on board about going to the Highland capital. However, one of the passengers later posted a negative review on TripAdvisor claiming a number of the tour party were unhappy about the change. A manager at Rabbie’s Trail Burners read this and confronted Marshall.
After a separate trip in January, it was also reported Marshall acted wrongly by parking in a lay-by and meeting a female friend after dropping off passengers.
The incidents led to him being questions by managers over the detour and in February, he was fired for gross misconduct.
Judge Rosie Sorrell said: “The tribunal found the claimant to be a credible witness who was consistent in the material aspects of his evidence and who was clearly distressed at the events which led up to his dismissal.”
