Sick leave shark wrestler Paul Marshallsea sacked

mrDerek

A charity worker has been sacked after his bosses saw footage of him wrestling a shark in Australia while he was on sick leave for stress.

Paul Marshallsea, 62, from Merthyr Tydfil, grabbed the shark by the tail as it swam towards children and dragged it to deeper water off Bulcock Beach.

His story made headlines across the world and lifeguards praised him.

He has been sacked by the Pant and Dowlais Boys and Girls Club which blamed a "breakdown" of confidence.

Mr Marshallsea and his wife Wendy, 56, were on extended sick leave for work-related stress from the charity they had worked 10 years for.

They visited friends on a two-month break in Australia and were having a barbecue on the beach beach when a fin was spotted in the water.

Mr Marshallsea ran into the sea where he was filmed dragging the 6ft-long (1.8m) dusky whaler shark into deeper water.

The charity's former project co-ordinator, said: "If I hadn't gone in to save the kids on that beach that day my wife and I would still have a job."


Mr Marshallsea with his wife Wendy and daughter Rachel
The couple had taken sick leave due to stress.

"The stress of running this in your own community - it's like a monster," said Mr Marshallsea.

"We created a whip to hit our own backs. It grew so big and we didn't realise. There was no stopping it.

"Our doctor advised us to go on holiday so we travelled to stay with friends in Australia.

"I never thought for one minute that wrestling with shark would cost me my job."

A spokeswoman on behalf of the trustees for Pant and Dowlais Boys & Girls Club said the charity was advised by its solicitors not to comment on the matter.

In a letter to Mr Marshallsea seen by the BBC, he was told by the trustees: "Whilst unfit to work you were well enough to travel to Australia and, according to recent news footage of yourself in Queensland, you allegedly grabbed a shark by the tail and narrowly missed being bitten by quickly jumping out of the way.

"The photographs and footage appeared in newspapers and television broadcasts."

Mr Marshallsea said he received a second letter stating: "The breakdown of the trustees' confidence and trust in you and your ability to perform the role is so great that we find that dismissal is the only course of action we can recommend."

i think this is fairly harsh and probably a pr disaster for the crowd who sacked him and his wife.
is there anywhere in a contract that says you cant leave the country from sick leave and furthermore would the company prefer they stay at home instead of destressing in the sun?

HondaSami

If he is well enough to go on holiday he is well enough to work, part time at least. Are they both on sick leave? presume he is on full pay.

I'm listening to this whilst reading the story; really adds to it (especially the part about dragging a shark by the fin)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wV0wPBYDQ6Y

C.K Dexter Haven

HondaSami wrote: »

If he is well enough to go on holiday he is well enough to work, part time at least. Are they both on sick leave? presume he is on full pay.

He was on stress leave-Going on a holiday is a well known relief from stress- it's not at all extraordinary.

Gummy Panda

HondaSami wrote: »

If he is well enough to go on holiday he is well enough to work, part time at least. Are they both on sick leave? presume he is on full pay.

He is on sick leave for stress. Wouldn't a holiday in a sunny country not relieve the stress?

The Backwards Man

That's some bad hat Harry.

woodoo

Stress leave is a load of cack

Mr Benevolent

Legally they've got him over a barrel.

My name is URL

Leaving aside the fact that he was caught on 'holiday', it may not have been the only thing that led to his dismissal. Who knows what sort of employee he was or how many warnings he had before all of that.

Mr Marshallsea said he received a second letter stating: "The breakdown of the trustees' confidence and trust in you and your ability to perform the role is so great that we find that dismissal is the only course of action we can recommend."

HondaSami

C.K Dexter Haven wrote: »

He was on stress leave-Going on a holiday is a well known relief from stress- it's not at all extraordinary.

Gummy Panda wrote: »

He is on sick leave for stress. Wouldn't a holiday in a sunny country not relieve the stress?

I'm not sure i agree with people on sick leave getting paid to go on hoiday tbh.
It might be good for him and everything but Australia, could he not go for a week to Blackpool or somewhere nearer?

Praetorian Saighdiuir

Ok, let me get this right.

This couple are on sick leave from work, citing stress as the cause.

The the guy goes into the water and catches a shark with his bare hands....

Seems legit.

Terry1985

who has stress at 62?
He probably had his mortgage paid off and enjoying the grandchildren.
Sounds like he should ve requested leave than taken sick leave.

C.K Dexter Haven

HondaSami wrote: »

I'm not sure i agree with people on sick leave getting paid to go on hoiday tbh.
It might be good for him and everything but Australia, could he not go for a week to Blackpool or somewhere nearer?

What difference does it make where he goes?

HondaSami

C.K Dexter Haven wrote: »

What difference does it make where he goes?

A weekend break to ease the stress is ok but Australia is not ok imo.

Seachmall

HondaSami wrote: »

A weekend break to ease the stress is ok but Australia is not ok imo.

They gave him however-many days leave to deal with his stress.

What difference is it if he went to Kerry or Australia?

In terms of stress relief, which is why he was given his leave, they are equal.

C.K Dexter Haven

HondaSami wrote: »

A weekend break to ease the stress is ok but Australia is not ok imo.

Yes Dr. Hondasami:p

Boombastic

Surely wrestling a shark would raise stress levels??


chancer

mrDerek

seeing a bunch of kids get tore up by a shark would raise stress levels more id imagine

anncoates

What a confusing title.

Boombastic

mrDerek wrote: »

seeing a bunch of kids get tore up by a shark would raise stress levels more id imagine

Ah, won't someone think of the children :pac:



He's a chancer, both him and the wife were off on sick leave on a 2 month holiday. How did they both know that their 'stress levels' would not return to normal before the 2 months were up?

Anyway he probably attracted the shark with the smell of cooking off his BBQ

Cienciano

The 2 of them were both so stressed they couldn't work? Find it hard to believe! I reckon the company thought they were taking the piss so any excuse to sack them

Canis Lupus

I'm very dubious when I see people are on long term sick leave for stress. Two people in my office went through that and it was just a way to milk the system before quitting and moving on to another job. Sure if you've neck for it who wouldn't want to sit at home for a few months on full pay.

I reckon both him and his wife were chancers and they've paid the price.

stefan idiot jones

For a start, there is definitely something dodgy about a man from Merthyr Tydfil being able to afford petrol in his car let alone a holiday in Australia. Merthyr is Wales' prime example of an economic blackspot. Enduring a 24-36 hour flight is hardly stress relieving.
After Thatcher closed down all the mines and the Hoover factory shut, burgalry, heroine and crime are the weapon of choice in that town. By the way, the weather is beautiful down here in Queensland at the moment.

humbert

I'd have to be pretty stressed before I'd feel like taking it out on a six foot shark.

Gatling

He's no better than the builders on disability for bad backs caught lifting heavy weights while working cash in hand

krudler

Have you ever been so stressed you wrestled a shark?

Stovepipe

Because the trust regard going to 'Stralia on sick leave as a piss-take. After all, long-range travel is stressful in itself. It's standard for companies to disallow holiday leave when a person is on sick leave, in case employees take the piss.Airlines commonly disallow staff travel to employees on sick leave.

regards
Stovepipe

ringadingding

He's a total blagger I'm sure
" rescued the kids" bollox !

I guarantee more will come of this story.

stefan idiot jones

ringadingding wrote: »

He's a total blagger I'm sure
" rescued the kids" bollox !

I guarantee more will come of this story.

http://media.theage.com.au/news/national-news/man-wrestles-shark-at-caloundra-3973479.html This was one of the original reports here in Australia at the time, he was not the only 'wrestler'.

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

HondaSami wrote: »

If he is well enough to go on holiday he is well enough to work, part time at least. Are they both on sick leave? presume he is on full pay.

This statement is a load of rubbish really.

Gatling wrote: »

He's no better than the builders on disability for bad backs caught lifting heavy weights while working cash in hand

There's no comparison between the two.

Lumbo

A friend of mine worked for a large company in the UK. He wanted to spend the summer in Ibiza so he went to his doctor and claimed he was under considerable stress and thinking about self harming. The doctor wrote him a sick note and the company told him to come back to their doctor every 6 weeks after that. My mate then drove to Ibiza in the company 4x4 and partied for the summer, flew home every 6 weeks for an appointment with the company doctor and a chat with the HR department. He was on full pay for the first 3 months and half pay after that, for the next 2 months. He was also using the company 4x4 to ferry people around the island, illegal taxi's are very popular in Ibiza, to supplement his income. His story got out among the people working over there for the summer, he tried his best to keep it quite but he kept hearing tales back of some lad getting paid to spend to summer partying.

So that's all great and pretty jammy for him to get away with all this but during his last meeting with HR, the person interviewing him complements him on his suntan, mentions that the weather in the UK has been terrible, asks him has he been away on holidays. So my mate thinks he's caught and can see the whole plan falling apart so decides after all that he's got away with that he might as well go out fighting. Tells the person from HR that he's been on sunbeds to deal with his depression. A few days later he rings home and his mother tells him there's a letter from the company. Its a two page letter from HR explaining the dangers of sunbeds and how they aren't recommended for dealing with depression.

I very rarely go sick from work, I don't like taking sickies because I don't like lying to my boss but after seeing what my mate got away with, if I was to do it, I'd try to do it with style.

Gatling

Jayce Angry Talker wrote: »

This statement is a load of rubbish really.



There's no comparison between the two.

Yes there is there both scam artists

Married worked for same small charity in wales ,both have the same stress problem ,its called joint enterprise

Lyaiera

I like all the opinions on stress in here. What are the chances the next time a thread on suicide levels in Ireland come up these people will be giving out yards about the country's attitude to mental health problems.

Gatling

Mass suicide rates predicted over the economic crisis and and repossessions, were still waiting

stefan idiot jones

Lyaiera wrote: »

I like all the opinions on stress in here. What are the chances the next time a thread on suicide levels in Ireland come up these people will be giving out yards about the country's attitude to mental health problems.

Maybe people could go and tickle a trout ? Not as dangerous as sharks.

BillyMitchel

Wrestled a shark, he grabbed it by the fin and pushed it away!!

A holiday would of been fine but two months in Oz is really taking the piss!!

Wonder what his stress levels are like now?!

Lapin

Ok lets see if I have this one right.

The shark is on its way to lunch on some kids yeah ?

Stressed guy from the far side of the world jumps in and beats the crap out of Jaws ?

So the fish changes its mind about lunch and fecks off, am I right ?

And all the little children are saved, but Taffy gets his P45 because his boss back in the valleys saw it all on You Tube.

That seems the general gist of things.



No - I'm not buying this one, sorry.

Ruudi_Mentari

And so Paul Marshallsea was his actual name?!

How many other people do we know of in life that follow a similar type of surname-led trajectory.

Lapin

Ruudi_Mentari wrote: »

And so Paul Marshallsea was his actual name?!

How many other people do we know of in life that follow a similar type of surname-led trajectory.

Well there was Luke Skywalker............

Ruudi_Mentari

Come on now, theres real ones I'm just lazier than you are right now

It can even just effect their outlook I mean look at Michael Winner, very successful man. I even knew a nationalist called Paddy Briton and he had a massive chip on his shoulder so it definitely exists...

Ruudi_Mentari

and speaking of "winning" we had Mr Sheen, shining umpteen bars clean

Lapin

How about Amy Winehouse ?

Ruudi_Mentari

Yes, that's a very good example.

Irish Guitarist

I wonder if the shark is alright.

monkeypants

Stovepipe wrote: »

It's standard for companies to disallow holiday leave when a person is on sick leave, in case employees take the piss.

Really? I've never heard of it. Doctor signs you off and that's it. There's no limits placed on where you can go. Actually, that's not correct. There is one place you aren't allowed to go; the workplace. Come to think of it, how would they police this? They'd have to define "holiday" for a start. For one person, it's a short break in a B&B on a long weekend, for this couple it was in Australia. Maybe they could ban them from traveling abroad, but in the case of Ireland, we have a constitutional right to travel abroad. I would consider a holiday an opportunity to get away from the stress of the workplace.

Several companies that I have worked for gave back holidays if you produced a sick note from abroad. Have never tested it though.

Regardless, I think the people in question were taking the piss and that there's more to the story.

Cookie_Monster

Would wrestling sharks not be an extremely stressful thing?

smash

Wrestling a shark.... Legend!

HondaSami

Jayce Angry Talker wrote: »

This statement is a load of rubbish really.

If you say so.

Feathers

To say someone couldn't be suffering from stress because their instinct kicked in when they saw kids in trouble shows a really naive understanding of mental health.

& don't see the issue with where he goes if ha doctor suggested a holiday to him.

Possibly there's more to it, we won't know without getting the inside details. Though think the attitudes shown to stories like this (here and from his work) do a lot to keep the coal fires burning under our last great taboo.

Gatling

Has anybody actually watched the video of the "sham hero" saving the children by wrestling a shark, well he didn't rescuse any kids there was nobody actually in the water at the time, and he didn't wrestle the shark another man already had hold of the small sharks tail ,so he's no hero ,stress leave from a youth club really ,what a total sham

omega666

Him and the wife also on sick leave with stress living it up on a beach in Oz.
Nice if you have the balls to pull off a stunt like that.
Obviously a complete sham seeing as the company (who would know they're personal situation better than any anyone here) decided to
fire them both which you bet was covered on all angles by their lawers.