By Jon PettyA WOMAN has claimed her confidence was shattered by working as a dental practice manager.Yvonne Fuller told an employment tribunal the experience had left her unable to work since November.

By Jon Petty

A WOMAN has claimed her confidence was shattered by working as a dental practice manager.

Yvonne Fuller told an employment tribunal the experience had left her unable to work since November.

Mrs Fuller, 47, was employed at Jaywick Dental Surgery in Crossways,

Jaywick, for more than seven years before she quit, claiming she had been forced out by the new owner.

She brought a claim of constructive unfair dismissal before the Bury St Edmunds tribunal yesterday. Practice owner, David Figaji, has denied her allegations.

Mrs Fuller, of Shoreham Road, Clacton, alleged Mr Figaji acted unreasonably and with hostility towards her and tried to reduce her to a junior role by taking away managerial duties.

She claimed her situation had been made worse by his alleged systematic late payment of her wages and alleged failure to implement a promised pay rise.

The tribunal heard Mrs Fuller's GP had signed her off with work-related stress and anxiety on two occasions last year.

Mrs Fuller claimed when she returned to work after the second period of stress, Mr Figaji had begun to undermine her position in the practice.

Her husband, Stephen, told the tribunal at one stage his wife had been rushed to hospital suffering from chest pains, which doctors concluded had been brought on by stress.

Mrs Fuller alleged despite being practice manager, other staff were instructed by Mr Figaji to consult him on issues that she had previously handled.

She claimed one of the final straws had come when she had been told to review 8,000 patient records and had been given 20 hours to complete the job, which she alleged had previously taken three employees five days.

Mrs Fuller quit in November and said: "At the time I thought I had no alternative but to leave. Mr Figaji was making my life at work so miserable."

After she left her £13,486-a-year post, Mrs Fuller added she had been taken on by a travel agency, but had had to resign after just four-and-a-half days because of the toll that stress had taken on her.

Mrs Fuller told the tribunal panel: "As a result of the treatment I received, I have suffered a great deal of emotional stress."

But Joanne Vine, a receptionist at the Jaywick Dental Practice, said she believed Mrs Fuller had walked out because she had clashed with Mr Figaji over a refusal to carry out some office tasks.

"I was surprised with Yvonne's actions," added Ms Vine, who claimed Mrs Fuller's husband had later arrived at the surgery in an aggressive

manner and confronted Mr Figaji.

The tribunal has been adjourned until August when Mr Figaji is due to give evidence.