A former senior manager with Microsoft Ireland was not seen in the Dublin office, where 350 employees whom she was responsible for worked, for two to three years prior to the termination of her employment, it was claimed at the High Court yesterday.

Lori Brownell, who was appointed worldwide head of localisation with Microsoft after Breda Pickering turned down the position in autumn 2000, made the claim while being cross-examined in the action by Ms Pickering (43) of Knockbracken House, Bishops Lane, Kiltiernan, Co Dublin, against Microsoft Ireland Operations Limited, arising from the termination of her employment four years ago.

Mr Hugh Mohan SC, for Ms Pickering, suggested to Ms Brownell that Microsoft's review procedure of employees "must be missing something" if Ms Pickering did not come into the office for two to three years. He also suggested such a statement was "nothing but malice" on her part. Ms Brownell disagreed.

Ms Pickering is claiming constructive dismissal and is seeking damages for alleged negligence, breach of contract and failure to get her redundancy entitlements and stock options. The defence denies her claims.

The court heard that Ms Brownell was appointed Microsoft's worldwide head of localisation on November 16th, 2000, which resulted in the US and Ireland localisation divisions of Microsoft being amalgamated.

Ms Pickering had been responsible for the Irish and European localisation division of Microsoft before this amalgamation. Ms Brownell, based in Seattle, and Ms Pickering, based in Dublin, reported to the same manager prior to the amalgamation.

Four months after Ms Pickering went on sick leave from her job, the court heard Ms Brownell sent an e-mail on May 1th, 2001, in which it was suggested that the cause of Ms Pickering's stress was that she didn't get "riffed".

It is claimed by Ms Pickering the RIF (reduction in force) severance package offered by Microsoft traditionally also allowed its employees to relocate in the company. Ms Brownell said she "found it a little bit hard to believe" that the failure to RIF Ms Pickering caused her stress.

In relation to an e-mail from May 2001, Ms Brownell told Mr Hugh Mohan SC she was told by "dozens" of people in Microsoft that Ms Pickering hadn't come into the Dublin office for two to three years. This information emerged in an investigation by a manager in the Dublin office, carried out in the spring of 2001 after Ms Pickering went on sick leave.

Almost 30 people were questioned, including an employee who had been in the job for two years and who, referring to Ms Pickering, said: "I wouldn't know what she looks like."

Mr Mohan read e-mails to Ms Brownell, including one sent to Ms Brownell in January, 2001 by another Microsoft employee, Shay Hurley, who was based in the Dublin office at the time.

Mr Hurley wrote he was "frustrated" with the situation in Ireland and suggested to Ms Brownell that she should "clear the director and her staff out". Ms Brownell told the court she presumed Mr Hurley was referring to Ms Pickering in that e-mail.

The hearing continues today before Mr Justice Esmond Smyth.