My name is Waseem Abbasi. I lost my job for speaking up against harassment, bullying, blackmail and sexual harassment. I’m currently in the process of taking my former employer CPIC, China Pak Investment Corporation to the employment tribunal for automatic unfair dismissal.

My Story

Imagine getting up every morning, to work in a toxic environment and suffer bullying, intimidation and abuse. Even worse, imagine having to watch colleagues endure sexual harassment and fear your job is at risk if you stand up for what’s right, while working overtime and not being paid for it.  

That’s exactly what happens in CPIC.

I soon discovered the company I had joined was a degrading and toxic environment to work in. The culture was an atmosphere of fear and the entire organisation is anti-female, refusing to hire women with children.

Employees regularly endure bullying, intimidation and sometimes sexual harassment, all while working under great pressure, without being paid overtime or given time off in lieu, which CPIC promises at the time of hiring.

The case

I have taken CPIC to the employment tribunal for the following:

• Automatic unfair dismissal under Section 103A of the Employment Rights Act 1996 (dismissal for whistleblowing).

• Victimisation under Section 27 of the Equality Act 2010.

• Direct discrimination because of sex under Section 13 of the Equality Act 2010.

• Harassment under Section 26 of the Equality Act 2010.

• Unlawful deduction of wages and breach of the Working Time Regulations 1998.

• Forced not to support my female colleague who was sexually harassed within the workplace.

Who is CPIC?

The company is owned and funded by a Pakistani group, which is exploiting UK labour force.

There are no HR department or formal HR processes as CPIC does not want to invest in HR, despite making millions which flow out of the UK. It is a cliquey, uncomfortable environment where you are pushed out if you do not accept the unprofessional, disrespectful behaviour of the team.

Toxic environment, High staff turnover & anti-female agenda
I witnessed employees being sworn at, with management regularly using derogatory language.

Staff were made to stand for one hour several times a day to make sales calls while the tannoy system played sounds of a busy office in the background to give customers the impression that the company was busier than it was – Miss leading customers.

There was a brutal culture of hiring and firing at CPIC. It was common for them to fire staff before their qualifying period of two years of service was complete, as they knew that employees cannot claim for unfair dismissal.

I witnessed employees being sacked within the first two to three weeks of my job, as they were unable to stay late every night, or work the required six to seven days a week. Because of this, the management made a practice of not hiring women with children.

The company is operating in a fake and unjust way – both in terms of the way it represents itself and the way it disrespects employees.

Overwork in an atmosphere of fear
CPIC forced my colleagues and I to work six to seven days a week without a break. This sometimes occurred over 12 days in a row.

In October 2020 the Team Leader told me that as per the direct orders of CPIC’s investors, I would have to work the rest of the month until mid-December without a signle day off.

When I explained to the Managing Director that my wife was seven months’ pregnant and it would be very hard to do work 7 days a week without a single day off as I am need to help her at home, he replied: “then stay f*** home and don’t come at all”.

Sexual harassment of female colleague
The Team Leader was pursuing a female colleague, he was harassing her and sending her inappropriate messages. He also insisted on me to take them both out for drinks and help him as I was her friend. I informed the MD about it and asked him to stop the Team Leader. MD asked me to mind my own business.

Meanwhile, my friend made a formal complaint of sexual harassment. Our CCO intervened, and the Team Leader was given a final warning.

Later on our CCO was also dismissed for supporting the female colleague and trying to improve the work environment.

Blackmail
Team Leader has been blackmailing me as well, threatening me with losing my job. I clearly felt heat, even more than before, from the Team Leader and senior management. Therefore, I thought it is about time and I raised grievances with the Finance Analyst, who also looked after the HR matters, detailing everything.

I was called into an informal meeting by the Finance Analyst. He reiterated that I would have to work 7 days a week till mid December. He further asked me to stay quiet and not mention about the sexual harassment to anyone and not to support my female colleague. Obviously he was following MD’s and CEO’s orders who both were very close friends of Team Leader.

My grievance wasn’t dealt and in addition to that Team Leader said that he is going to get me fired, so I approached a solicitor. My solicitor sent CPIC a letter detailing my complaints and requesting to deal with my grievances.

Automatic Unfair dismissal and victimisation
Within two working days of receiving my solicitor’s letter, I was handed a pre-typed letter on the 10th of December 2019 by the Finance Analyst, dismissing me on the grounds of alleged capability, despite being one of the top performer in my batch.

The letter referred to a meeting with CPIC on the 10th of December which never happened. TFL travel log and other Evidences have been submitted to prove that I was not in even in the office at the time/duration stated, by CPIC, for the meeting.

CPIC thought Employment Tribunal would never accept my case as I did not work for two years to qualify for unfair dismissal. As I asserted my statutory rights, made a protected disclosures, I qualify for automatic unfair dismissal and Employment Tribunal has accepted my case, notwithstanding length of my service.

How CPIC is trying to dodge the Legal system and trying to escape justice:

Now, CPIC is not bringing a single witness/comparator involved to court, especially Finance Analyst. The Finance Analyst lied in writing and I have documentary evidence to prove that. He is not coming forward as he would be exposed of dishonesty and lying immediately.

CPIC also did not provide all the data requested as per GDPR laws - trying to prevent me and my solicitors from obtaining the information to prepare our case, though we managed to build a very strong case. It is an offence to for organisations to alter, deface, block, erase, destroy or conceal information with the intention of preventing disclosure.

How much we are raising and why? 

We are seeking to raise £5000 - £8000 in aid to help pay for the outstanding and upcoming legal costs of court helping to fight the injustice.

Thank you for taking the time out of your schedules to read my appeal to make a change, please if you can donate to support this very important and pressing legal challenge and also please give this page a share wherever you can.