Nursing Home Chain Must Pay Nurse NIS 30,000 for Defamation
Translated & summarized from Maariv by baba
A nursing home chain in Tel Aviv was ordered to pay a former nurse NIS 30,000 for defamation after sending letters to her other employers accusing her of fraud and theft. The nurse had sued for NIS 580,000 after discovering the letters, which she claimed severely damaged her reputation. The court found the allegations unproven but awarded punitive damages due to the nature of the letters and the employer's intent to harm. The compensation is near the legal maximum and serves as a deterrent.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- A nursing home chain must pay a former nurse NIS 30,000 for defamation.
- The chain sent letters to the nurse's other employers accusing her of fraud and theft.
- The nurse had sued for NIS 580,000 after discovering the defamatory letters.
- The court found the allegations of fraud unproven but awarded punitive damages.
- The NIS 30,000 award is near the legal ceiling for defamation damages.
A regional labor court in Tel Aviv has ordered a nursing home chain to pay a former nurse NIS 30,000 in damages for defamation. The chain had sent letters to the nurse's other employers accusing her of theft, embezzlement, and systematic fraud. The nurse had worked for the chain between 2009 and 2015. In 2015, she resigned due to a dispute and filed a claim for severance pay and other benefits. In response, the chain sued her, alleging she had concealed her concurrent employment with private clients. The court dismissed most of the mutual claims, though it ordered the nurse to pay the chain NIS 5,000 for failing to disclose her parallel employment with one private company.
During the proceedings, the nurse discovered the letters sent by her former employer to two other companies where she worked. These letters alleged she had committed financial fraud and received cash "under the table." Based on this, she filed a new lawsuit for defamation, seeking NIS 580,000. She argued the letters used severe terms like "systematic fraud," "robbery," "theft and embezzlement," and "shady dealings under the table," causing her financial damage and harming her reputation.
The nursing home chain claimed the letters were based on information that she had received an envelope of cash, thus falling under the defense of truth. They also argued the letters were sent within a legal proceeding, which allows for freedom of argument and is exempt from defamation law.
The court ruled that the claim of the nurse receiving cash envelopes was unproven and had not been thoroughly investigated. Since the other employers did not believe the allegations, the nurse could not prove financial harm from her dismissal by the chain. However, due to the content of the letters and the apparent intent to harm the nurse, the court awarded her NIS 30,000 in punitive damages for defamation. The court noted that the compensation awarded approaches the NIS 50,000 ceiling under the defamation law and serves as a deterrent against the employer's misconduct.