A tribunal has ordered the Manx Co-op to release missing documents it had failed to disclose.

Rachel Victoria Willis, who had worked at the Co-op store in Ramsey, had lodged a claim with the employment tribunal alleging unfair dismissal / redundancy including constructive dismissal.

She also contended she had been discriminated against on the grounds of her disability.

The complainant had begun to lose her sight in August 2015.

Having originally been registered as partially sighted, she was ultimately registered blind in January 2024.

The complaint sought to amend her claim, alleging serious shortcomings in the Co-op’s handling of the disclosure process.

It emerged that ER Services, the Co-op’s Human Resources provider, had been undertaking an investigation into bullying and discrimination claims at the Ramsey Christian Street Co-op store.

In February, Ms Willis’ advocates came into the possession of witness statements during routine work on her behalf.

These included a document of meeting notes headed ’confidential’.

It involved an interview with a member of staff as part of an investigation carried out by ER Services.

The advocates then came across a further witness statement dated February 27 this year.

Neither of these meeting notes or any documents relating to other investigations carried out by ER Services had been disclosed.

For its part the Co-op claimed the complainant’s disclosure was defective as it didn’t include her resignation letter.

Tribunal chairman Douglas Stewart accepted this was a document of core importance but said it did not compare with the respondent’s far more significant areas of non-disclosure.

He said he did not consider that the requests for further documentation could be classed as a fishing expedition.

The chairman ordered the Co-op to disclose the requested documents including any created under the ER Services investigation.

He gave a deadline of 4pm on April 17 and gave Ms Willis leave to amend her claim.