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8 December 2005 - Death Influenced by
Bullying in the Workplace
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A jury inquest, at Oldham Magistrates Court, into the death of a
young teenage girl, on Boxing Day 2003, ruled that Hannah Kirkham from Baguley,
Greater Manchester had died from "cardiac arrest, brought on by ingestion of her
medication" and was "significantly influenced" by the abuse and threats to her
life from bullies within her workplace.
The inquest heard how young Hannah, whilst working at Kentucky
Fried Chicken fast food outlet in Northeden had been subjected to such abuse as
the following:
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She was stabbed in the arm with corn sticks.
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Verbally abused and threatened with death.
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Her colleagues and team leader called her a "fat, spotty bitch."
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One colleague also said: "You dirty ugly slag, who would want to
rape you?"
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Workers sprayed deodorant on her uniform.
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Workers held a cigarette lighter against her.
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Workers also drew on her face and body with a marker pen.
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One worker said: "Would anyone miss you if you died?".
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Another said: "No one could ever have loved you, not even
family" and "If we killed you we would cut you up and post your body through
your letterbox."
Hannah was signed off sick. She then suffered hallucinations of
being attacked and consequently harmed herself.
Eighteen year old Hannah told her KFC employer of the abuse.
She was told to try and sort it out by herself and if this failed, she had to
put her grievances in writing. Hannah did put her grievances in
writing on 5 December 2003, but her letter was "misplaced" by her employer KFC
and was not opened until February 2004, some 2 months later and after her death.
Young Hannah was found by her Mother on the morning of 17
December 2003, lying next to empty blister packs of her medication.
She subsequently died on Boxing Day 2003.
The jury said:
"Hannah intended to take her own life after a sustained
period of clinically diagnosed, severe depressive illness, which was
significantly influenced by bullying and harassment in the workplace."
Mrs Kirkham, Hannah's Mother, told the inquest:
"She was a beautiful, talented and caring young lady, who
shone in lots of areas, particularly arts and dance."
Dr Patrick Mbaya, Hannah's family practitioner, told the inquest
his diagnosis was one of severe depression and had found no family history of
such illness. He also added:
"The stressful events could have led to her depression".
A statement by KFC, said:
"Hannah's death was a "tragedy" and it had since set up a
confidential employee hotline."
William Norris QC for KFC, said:
"Hannah's letter had gone to the firm's offices in Ellesmere
Port by mistake instead of it's regional base.
"It is a matter of some considerable regret. Had it had been
delivered there, it would have been dealt with more promptly."
The sad case of young Hannah Kirkham and the family's grief in
losing their very precious Daughter, highlights the need for companies to assess
their grievance procedures, to protect every level of worker within
organisations against bullying in the workplace.
An HSfB survey on bullying in the workplace was carried out in
2004 and can be accessed by clicking the following:
HSfB Bullying Survey 2004
Further information from ACAS for employers on bullying in the
workplace can be accessed from HSfB's news article of November 2005 by clicking
the following:
8 November 2005 - ACAS Launches Bullying Prevention Package
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have many webpages on
bullying, stress etc in the workplace, two of which can be accessed by clicking
the following:
HSE
- Stress
Violence in the workplace: bullying, harassment, physical violence,
psychological violence
If this news article has appalled you, then please e-mail this
article to a friend or company. It may just bring awareness to the
dreadful consequences which can arise from bullying in the workplace.
Article by Alexandra Johnston
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