A veteran customer service representative at Sky, who had been handling complaints for thirty years, was terminated from her position for a pattern of disconnecting calls with customers and then feigning technical issues.
Lorraine Hunter, employed at the call center, was fired after it was revealed that she routinely ended calls by abruptly hanging up on subscribers, instructing them to wait momentarily before cutting off the conversation. This led to customers having to redial and wait in the queue again due to the false pretense of call disconnections.
Based in Edinburgh, Scotland, Ms. Hunter’s claim of unfair dismissal was rejected following an investigation in November 2024. Suspicion arose among management that the agent was intentionally terminating customer calls, prompting them to record conversations.
Having dealt with prestigious and high-value clients, the long-serving employee was responsible for resolving issues and updating contracts. Seven instances were pinpointed where Ms. Hunter prematurely disconnected calls, as the action required a deliberate two-step process, ruling out accidental disconnections.
During a conduct meeting on May 28 of the previous year, recordings of the suspicious calls were played for Ms. Hunter, who failed to provide a satisfactory explanation for the disconnected calls. Consequently, she was officially dismissed the following week for breaching company policies and posing a significant risk due to her actions.
Despite appealing the decision and attributing the disconnections to technical glitches, Ms. Hunter’s claim was upheld, leading her to bring the case to an employment tribunal in Edinburgh.
Employment Judge Michelle Sutherland sided with Sky, stating that the company was justified in dismissing Ms. Hunter. The judge emphasized that Sky’s decision was based on a reasonable belief that calls were deliberately disconnected, supported by a thorough investigation and compliance with established procedures.
Sky’s decision to terminate Ms. Hunter’s employment, without prior warning despite her long tenure, was deemed fair by the judge, resulting in the dismissal of her claim of unfair treatment.
