As someone with little experience in employment law, I find myself in the scary position of being a litigant in person in an Employment Tribunal claim for Sex Discrimination, Harassment and Victimisation.  I am hoping to raise funds for legal help to prepare for court as a litigant in person. 

Brief history

I was a loyal employee (circa 14 years) with Macmillan Cancer Support, which I saw as a vocation, not just a job.  Macmillan is a charity whose business is Human Health, Social Work and Services activities.  I believed, as do most of the public, that charities work with higher ethical values and behaviours, particularly around safeguarding people through better culture.

From 2015 there were significant changes in high level management and an introduction of a major ‘change programme’ (still ongoing 2021?) which unfortunately lacked definition, direction or transparency.

Post a change to my Head of Department in 2016, I found the culture, in particular my work environment, start to significantly deteriorate for the worse.  The cracks started early and escalated from end 2016.  Despite not having had any concerns raised about my work prior and being awarded a ‘Business Excellence Award’ during 2016, my new ‘Head of’ viewed me as no longer the right 'fit'.  He ignored policy and procedure and decided that I needed to be subject to a PIP (Performance Improvement Plan). 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/lizryan/2016/04/08/the-truth-about-performance-improvement-plans/?sh=171ecb453b36.

Yes the organisation had(has) policies and procedures to ‘supposedly’ address and deal with Performance Development, and Discrimination, Harassment and Victimisation.  And I tried to follow them, while Management and Human Resources regularly flouted the need to.

Through my 2016 Performance Appeal, my input was swept aside and ignored, it highlights Management and Human Resource collusion with little regard for policy or process.  Endorsing and allowing ‘The boss to act like a dictator’ and so abusing trust, power and position.

With my 2017 Grievance, they eventually had to reverse the ‘PIP’ because it screamed – plain wrong!  But they still chose not to address the issues I had raised around Discrimination and Harassment, and which I continued to be subject to.

By the time of my 2018 Grievance Appeal, the ‘toxic’ culture was pretty embedded and the powers that be, again, chose not to address the Discrimination, Harassment and Victimisation issues raised. I have little doubt they were protecting the ‘Brand’, and a ‘culture of fear’ discouraged any challenges to higher management.  The organisations ‘core values and behaviours’ would be inappropriately applied to hold lower staff accountable… but not ‘The Management’!

I was desperate for help and I requested 3^rd party input and mediation a number of times, unfortunately these requests were ignored.  As was ACAS mediation, offered as a standard prior to an Employment Tribunal. 

Macmillan Cancer Support Management and Human Resource are fully aware of the impact this struggle has had on every aspect of my life, which can be seen throughout the Employment Tribunal Disclosure, in the Occupational Health reports and input from Remploy.  I am still dealing with the fallout affects.

The Ugly Story

The Toxic Work Environment: Are Your Staff Affected? | Natural HR

I can see at least 11 points listed in the article above to the ‘toxic’ culture at Macmillan Cancer Support.  It is in this ‘toxic’ environment that managers act with impunity and the Discrimination, Harassment and Victimisation that I experienced become acceptable and glossed over.

And, sadly, it is all too evident throughout Macmillan Cancer Support reviews on Glassdoor Job Search | Find the job that fits your life

The negative Glassdoor staff reviews of Macmillan Cancer Support tell a very ugly story. There have been attempts within Macmillan to soften these ratings, and I would encourage those interested in my page to look for the ones that have high counts of the endorsement ‘Helpful’. These are the reviews that would have struck a chord with many staff over this period. I have also listed below some examples worth reading on Glassdoor:-

Still Standing

I understand the difference between the Organisation and the good it does for society, and the current poor culture from lack of good leadership. It is the latter that is problematic. Under the current management I see Macmillan being on a spiral that is likely to cause a negative fallout for the charity sector.  And in 2019 I did raise my concerns regarding Macmillan’s ‘toxic’ culture to the Charity Commission highlighting ‘Staff Health and Wellbeing, Safeguarding, Bad Culture and Data Protection issues’.

From late 2016 to late 2020 this ‘toxic’ culture left me dealing with soul destroying levels of Discrimination, Harassment and Victimisation, and lots and lots of stress and associated ill and mental health.  Which I ‘Whistleblew’ to the Macmillan Cancer Support Safeguarding team, to little avail. 

It has not stopped yet, as a litigant in person, dealing with an Employment Tribunal is huge and I have been on the receiving end of many a ‘Sharp Practise’ from Macmillan and their legal representation.

I am not sure how I am still standing, but I am, and will continue to do so. I stand by my request to be treated as ‘just equal’ to others.  Thank you for reading and special thanks all those who choose to support my CrowdJustice campaign.

by Ashley