I am sure that many locals will have read the reports in the Daily Post and other papers with interest over the employment tribunal between the Mountain leader training boards, in particular Mountain Leader Training England and an ex-employee who claimed she was dismissed unfairly.
I have sat on this story for a while, as to publish what I knew may have gotten me into trouble with people I work for, however as it is all in the public domain, and the case is over, I will hopefully be able to present the facts as well as my opinion on the whole affair.
The story started a few years back when the employee discovered some very unsavoury porn on her line managers Andy Say’s computer, and reported it to his boss. Being a small organisation mainly based in one building in Capel Curig Andy Say was challenged and admitted downloading the offensive material whilst at work.
Unfortunately for the MLT they appear to have totally mismanaged the situation that lead to the whistle blower being essentially bullied out of her job, as she was forced to take time off work through stress relate illness associated with her treatment by her line manager Andy Say. She eventually told her partner about the whole situation despite being told to keep the matter confidential.
Now given that she was ill because of the situation and missing work, it seems totally reasonable to me for her to mention the matter to her then partner and now husband. Something that the tribunal agreed with, and awarded her a payout for unfair dismissal.
A real victory for the little person, and a rather poor show for the organisation that represents the national governing body awards for mountaineering. Whilst the person dismissed has won a long and arduous fight to clear her name and get a fraction of the emotional and financial cost losing her job would have caused, the line manage Andy Say still sits in his office, where’s the justice in that?