A former park manager lost her tribunal case but still exposed some concerning issues with Cardiff council’s processes. Dr Julia Sas, once in charge of Bute Park, took on the council after quitting her role last year, alleging they didn’t handle her bullying claims against a cafe owner properly. She sought £55,241 for constructive dismissal, but the judge disagreed.
Dr Sas alleged that Melissa Boothman, who runs the Secret Garden cafe, led a “campaign of misinformation” against her. The list of accusations was long, including passive aggression and “tactical silence”. Interestingly, these claims were mostly brushed aside during the judgement.
The judge did, however, criticise the council’s handling of Dr Sas’ grievance, calling it insufficient and lacking thoroughness. Andrew Gregory, the grievance manager, didn’t uphold any of Dr Sas’ complaints, a stance the judge found less than stellar. Mr Gregory’s failure to keep proper notes or documents was called “unusual and surprising”.
Notably, the delay in addressing Dr Sas’ appeal, led by corporate director Christopher Lee, was also pointed out. Though Dr Sas found no satisfaction in the tribunal result, it did highlight some gaps in the council’s processes.
Dr Sas claimed that some council managers instructed her to delete certain emails related to the dispute, allegedly to avoid Freedom of Information issues. The council responded generally about its email retention policies, without directly addressing the allegation.
As Dr Sas considers her next move, the case leaves us pondering the challenges faced by employees when raising serious complaints. The council concluded with reassurances of its commitment to investigating inappropriate behaviour thoroughly, but this saga shows there’s room for improvement. Stay tuned for any updates!