Boots worker suffering from painful scoliosis wins £7,000 compensation after new boss banned her twice-daily 15-minute tea breaks

A Boots worker suffering from a bad back has been awarded nearly £7,000 after she resigned when she wasn't allowed a tea-break.

Pharmacy technician Natalie Williams from Holyhead found herself in agony when her daily drinks breaks were removed at work.

Mrs Williams, who has scoliosis of the spine, said the chemists where she had worked for 34 years was experiencing difficulties and she had been given an 'unmanageable' workload.

 Pharmacy technician Natalie Williams, who suffered from painful scoliosis, was told to stop taking 15-minute breaks at the Holyhead Boots store (pictured)

She told an employment tribunal that the increasing speed at which she was expected to work even forced her to take two weeks off due to stress.

Staff in the Holyhead store were used to taking two tea-breaks of around 15 minutes each day and Mrs Williams needed them as standing up for long periods left her in extreme pain. 

The tribunal heard temporary manager Amy Wilber had been brought in to the struggling store and she decided to remove the precious drinks breaks without consulting her staff.

She put a notice up and told the workers they should either attend work 30 minutes earlier, or leave 30 minutes later if they wanted to keep their breaks.

Mrs Williams said she was struggling to keep up and felt her manager was not accepting enough of the 'unbearable' pain she was in.

After returning to work following another two weeks off to attend a physiotherapy course, Mrs Williams was assessed by her manager.

At the end of the meeting Ms Wilber handed her a note which read 'professionalism - research what the word means and begin to practice within your role (lead by example)'.

Mrs Williams eventually resigned saying she felt she had no choice but to leave 'in light of recent experiences' and the way she had been treated.

At the tribunal in Llangefni, Employment Judge Davies concluded it would have been a 'reasonable adjustment' to ensure Mrs Williams was given a more manageable workload.

The judge added: 'The removal of her tea breaks not only affected her ability to manage her pain but also led to her working additional hours without remuneration or time off in lieu.'

The tribunal awarded Mrs Williams £6,882 after agreeing she had been the victim of 'unfair constructive dismissal' and the store had failed to make 'reasonable adjustments' related to her disability.

How Scoliosis affects the spine and how it can be treated 

Scoliosis is the abnormal curvature of the spine in an S-shape

Scoliosis is the abnormal curvature of the spine in an S-shape.

Signs include a visible curve in the spine, one shoulder or hip being more prominent than the other, clothes not hanging properly and back pain. 

In most cases, the cause of the scoliosis is not known but it can be caused by cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy.

In the UK, scoliosis affects three to four children out of every 1,000.

It is also thought that as many as 70 per cent of over 65s have some degree of scoliosis.

It is more common in women than in men.

Most children with the condition do not require treatment as it is mild and corrects itself as the child grows.

However, in severe cases the child may need to wear a back brace until they stop growing.

Occasionally, a child needs surgery to straighten their spine.

In adults, it is usually too late to treat the condition with a back brace or surgery so treatment revolves around reducing pain.

The NHS advises painkillers and exercise to treat the pain, with surgery required in the most severe cases.