A former youth worker has told how she was left suicidal after being forced out of her role by bosses at a public body in order to “placate” a councillor who had taken a dislike to her.
Janette Douglas claims managers at High Life Highland (HLH), Highland Council’s arms-length body, destroyed her life after Councillor Carolyn Wilson made a string of complaints about her.
She was forced to change roles and move location and was subjected to spurious disciplinaries due to the councillor’s “personal animosity” towards her.
She resigned after an FOI request unearthed a string of uncomplimentary emails between Ms Wilson and the chief executive of HLH, and has now won her case for constructive dismissal at an employment tribunal.
Ms Douglas, who suffers from fibromyalgia, also won her claims for disability discrimination and harassment and has now lodged a complaint with the Ethical Standards Commissioner over Ms Wilson’s behaviour.
She told The Herald: “High Life Highland destroyed my life. I know it sounds dramatic but that’s the truth.
“The bullying and discrimination came from the top down and included Ian Murray, ex-chief executive. I repeatedly begged them to put a stop to Councillor Carolyn Wilson’s bullying but instead their response was to discriminate and bully me themselves.
“I was just seen as a problem they wanted rid of. I have been forced to leave a job that I loved and they’ve left me a shell of my former self.
“There are times I have been so depressed that I haven’t wanted to leave the house and have seriously considered committing suicide just to make the nightmare end. However, I am fortunate to have a good support system of family, friends and even some ex- High Life colleagues who have been there for me throughout.”
She added: “Winning the tribunal has at least meant some sort of justice and is recognition that the way they treated me was truly appalling.”
The tribunal heard that Ms Douglas began working with Highland Council in April 2000 and was TUPE transferred to HLH in October 2011 as a youth development officer in the town of Alness.
She and Ms Wilson, an independent councillor, were very close friends but the relationship soured over a personal matter. The politician then made numerous complaints about Ms Douglas.
In March 2019, the worker was called to a meeting by management and told that she was being seconded to work in Dingwall in a fundraising roll.
Employment judge Nick Hosie found that the “undue haste” of her redeployment showed “an overwhelming and blinkered desire, on the part of [HLH], to placate cllr Wilson, in particular, by creating some distance between the claimant and her”.
He added: “It was clear that pressure was being applied by Cllr Wilson to the respondent, at senior management level, to remove the claimant from her substantive post in Alness.”
When Ms Douglas protested about the move, she was later subjected to a disciplinary for failing to follow instructions and data protection breaches.
She was given a written warning, however Judge Hosie found that the disciplinaries were “predetermined and without substance”.
She also raised a grievance about the way she had been treated by HLH, including their failure to protect her from Ms Wilson’s complaints, however the body dismissed her concerns.
The way they dealt with the grievance was “unreasonable”, the tribunal found.
The hearing was told that prior to all of this, Ms Douglas was a “highly regarded employee” who had been awarded the title of Public Servant of the Year at the Highland Hero Awards just months before.
Judge Hosie also found that little evidence had been presented about the councillor’s complaints and the substance of them had never been investigated.
He added: “We heard no evidence about Cllr Wilson’s complaints; the claimant was never disciplined; she was never afforded an opportunity of responding in any meaningful way; no evidence was led from Cllr Wilson although these complaints were a factor in the respondent’s decision to redeploy the claimant.”
A spokesperson for High Life Highland said: “In terms of the particular case in question, it was an isolated incident that presented a unique set of circumstances.
“HLH is deeply committed to equalities and social inclusion in all aspects of its work, this includes our commitment ensure a safe, fair and supportive environment for our customers, staff, and volunteers.”
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