An employment tribunal has ordered Manx Co-Operative Society Limited to hand over missing evidence after a former employee alleged serious failures in the disclosure process.
The case involves a woman who worked at the Ramsey Christian Street Co-Op store. She was initially registered as partially sighted before being registered blind in January 2024.
The complainant’s advocates uncovered witness statements by chance during routine work last month.
The statements were taken by ER Services, the Co-Op’s human resources provider, as part of an investigation into bullying and discrimination claims at the Ramsey store.
Tribunal chair Douglas Stewart said: “I consider it to be more than probable that there are material documents that remain undisclosed by the Respondents.”
He added: “The lack of disclosure has, and had, the potential to be damaging to the presentation of the complainant’s case.”
Each of the five respondents must now swear an affidavit confirming their searches. Unless they comply, their responses will be struck out.