From the Get West London website LINK Reporter: Hannah Bewley
A FORMER Brent Council manager claims she was discriminated against
by superiors and “bullied and undermined” despite her years of
experience.
Rosemarie Clarke, 50, resigned in April last year after four years as
head of learning and development, and launched an employment tribunal
claim against the authority and Cara Davani, now HR director but
previously on a temporary contract, for constructive dismissal, racial
discrimination, sexual discrimination, victimisation, bullying and
harassment and psychiatric injury.
Lawyers for the Christchurch Avenue, Harrow, inhabitent wrote in her
claim: “Ms Davani’s conduct made her feel like her managerial
prerogative was being continuously and seriously undermined and that her
professional integrity was also being undermined.
“The claimant asserts that the respondent treated black, female managers less favourably due to their race.”
Ms Clarke cited several incidents as part of her case, for which
hearings began on Monday last week at Watford Employment Tribunal.
Her claim said she and Ms Davani had a disagreement about the
termination of a contract of a temporary worker, Ms M, at the
council.
Ms Davani instructed Ms Clarke to tell the Ms M her contract
had ended while Ms M was on holiday because there was an issue
with her performance.
Ms Clarke attempted to persuade her boss to allow a few days for Ms M to hand over to someone else after her vacation.
The claimant told the tribunal Ms Devani said: “She Ms M
didn’t say hello to me in the corridor the other week, which I thought
was unprofessional.”
Ms Clarke added: “It was obvious Ms Davani didn’t like [Ms M].”
Ms Clarke’s claim form said: “Despite the claimant being of the view
that Ms M had done nothing wrong, Cara Davani was insistent
she had to go.”
Ms Clarke also said she received an e-mail from Ms Devani instructing
her to contact learning and development expert Dr Yvonne Foster, who
had previously worked with Ms Davani.
Ms Clarke said in reply she had adequate staffing levels and claims
Ms Davani told her she should “find her [Dr Foster] something to do”.
Ms Clarke said: “I was being pressured to contact Yvonne Foster and offer her a job in my team.”
The claimant said she “wasn’t happy” about being shouted at by Ms Davani during an Investors in People accreditation meeting.
Ms Clarke resigned after being suspended in February over allegations
of gross misconduct for alleged failure to follow reasonable management
instructions.
