A GOLF club worker who claims she was sacked after reporting an alleged inappropriate relationship between the club secretary and a woman member has won £50,000 for unfair dismissal.
Margaret Chadwick, right said she was bullied by boss Bill Beckett[ALBANPIX]An employment tribunal judge ruled there had been a “witch hunt” against Margaret Chadwick.
Mrs Chadwick, 58, told a lady club captain the woman had been behaving inappropriately at a party in August 2012, a tribunal heard. She said she had seen the woman “trying to squeeze Mr Beckett’s bottom” in an office.
Mrs Chadwick was suspended for “unprofessional and unfounded remarks” about Mr Beckett, who was nicknamed the “Ayatollah” in a previous post at Hadley Wood Golf Club, Herts, due to his “dictatorial manner”.
She was escorted from the club, which has membership fees of £1,000- a-year, and was dismissed two months later in October 2012.
The hearing in Bury St Edmunds, was told Mrs Chadwick, who lives with solicitor husband Richard, 68, in Laxfield, Suffolk, had been employed by the previous club secretary in May 2008 and had received no complaints about her work until Mr Beckett took over in April 2012.
She alleged she began to be criticised and bullied by him within weeks of his arrival. Mrs Chadwick appealed to the then club captain Steve Beaumont, who said: “I do not regard Bill Beckett’s behaviour as bullying and there was no physical violence.”
Judge Robin Postle said the captain had “amazing ignorance and naivety of bullying and harassment”. Mr Beckett and the woman denied the allegations – but the judge accused the club of failing to investigate properly.
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