Elisha Neavin was even caught starring in YouTube videos for British Gas
A local authority employee has been ordered to pay £20,000 after taking on a secret second job with British Gas while simultaneously claiming sick leave from her council position.
Elisha Neavin raised concerns at Southwark Council when it was discovered that she had taken up an apprenticeship scheme at British Gas while officially absent on sick leave.
She breached internal council rules by taking the apprenticeship while claiming that she was unfit for work owing to her mental health.
Ms Neavin was even identified appearing in online YouTube promotional videos produced by the energy supplier.
She cited therapy sessions and her observance of Ramadan as justification for missing meetings during her sick leave.
The London Borough of Southwark dismissed Ms Neavin for gross misconduct after 15 years of service once she was spotted in the company’s social media content.
She subsequently took the council to an employment tribunal claiming discrimination, but lost her case at London South Employment Tribunal.
The tribunal has now ordered her to pay £20,000 to the London Borough of Southwark for bringing the unsuccessful claim.
The tribunal ruled: “[Ms Neavin] is ordered to pay a contribution to the [council’s] costs in a sum summarily assessed at £20,000, which is around one half of the [council’s] total costs in defending this suite of litigation.”
Ms Neavin began her employment as a practice coordinator within Children’s Services of London Borough of Southwark in 2010.
She suffered from mental health issues such as depression, anxiety and complex PTSD, as well as having dyslexia.
Ms Neavin’s contract with the council stipulated: “Any outside employment, either paid or unpaid, must not in the view of this Council conflict with or act detrimentally to the Authority’s interest or in any weaken public confidence in the conduct of this Council’s business.
“It is a requirement of your employment that you notify your manager of any employment with another employer.”
In September 2023 she had an occupational health meeting and a report was drawn up saying: “Overall, Ms Neavin [is] unfit for work at present.
“Given the severity of her anxiety and depression during today’s phone call, and her commencing [Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR)] therapy, it is likely that Ms Neavin will experience worsening of symptoms as she progresses through her therapy.”
Managers concluded that it would be “reckless” or possibly even “negligent” to allow the care coordinator to continue to work in light of the medical report.
Ms Neavin said that she wanted to continue working but was signed off.
It later arose that she had started her employment with British Gas from or around 11 December 2023.
After an invitation to a meeting to discuss Ms Neavin’s welfare and her return to work, she replied: “Will you please allow me to engage in therapy without being constantly harassed bombarded…
“Should you insist I intend the meeting during prayer time and the holy month of Ramadan whilst in therapy (which I’m sure you was made aware that I am a practising Muslim during your detailed handover) what about this request took that into consideration.”
The managers re-evaluated Ms Neavin’s case in a capability hearing and ordered that her medical suspension be lifted in September 2024.
However, she continually delayed the return, saying that she was suffering from “panic attacks and anxiety” and would not be able to return until December 2024.
Shortly after, it was discovered that Ms Neavin had been working for British Gas at the same time she had been avoiding work at the council.
YouTube videos were found posted by the energy giant which showed Ms Neavin claiming that she had worked for a local council.
After an investigation she was dismissed for gross misconduct in March 2025, but she later took her former employers to an employment tribunal alleging that placing her on medical suspension and then firing her were discriminatory due to her disabilities.
Her claim of unfair dismissal was thrown out in a preliminary hearing, but a host of others, including that her suspension and later capability hearing were discriminatory, were dismissed at a final hearing at a London South Employment Tribunal.
Employment Judge Francesca Yardley said: “The Tribunal finds that the medical suspension was a proportionate means of achieving legitimate aims and was justified.
“The Tribunal finds that [the council] was pursuing the legitimate aims of safeguarding [Ms Neavin’s] health, enabling a safe and supported return to work, and managing prolonged operational uncertainty arising from extended medical suspension.
“The Tribunal finds as a fact that throughout the period of medical suspension, [Ms Neavin] repeatedly declined to engage with reasonable management requests, including weekly well-being calls, attendance at review meetings, and consent for an updated Occupational Health referral.
“Communication was limited to sporadic text messages and several letters sent by recorded delivery were returned unopened.
“These matters created significant barriers to any meaningful review her fitness for work or implement of adjustments.
“The initiation of a capability process in April 2024 was a proportionate means of achieving those aims after repeated attempts at engagement had failed.”