A CHARITABLE organisation has launched a review after an employment tribunal ordered it to pay more than £21,000.
Earlier this year a six-day employment tribunal ordered trustees of the Association of Voluntary Organisations in Wrexham (AVOW) to pay the money to Genny Bove after failing in their duty to monitor the conduct of their paid officials.
AVOW set up an independently chaired review panel after the organisation’s insurers decided not to appeal the tribunal’s decision and to pay the award in full to Ms Bove.
Trustees’ chairman Mervyn Rosenberg said the panel would make recommendations to the board as to such further actions that may be required.
He added: “These may or may not include disciplinary action, training, revision of procedure or structures and management and consideration of independent support and training for trustees engaged in grievance, disciplinary or complaints issues.”
The tribunal was told that AVOW’s chief officer John Gallanders was found to have engineered a hearing to discuss Miss Bove’s disability discrimination in a room where there was fluorescent lighting, knowing such lighting triggered her migraine attacks.
When Miss Bove lodged an official grievance against Mr Gallanders it was not handled properly by the trustees, who merely deferred all decisions to the officers, the tribunal heard.
Miss Bove, from Moss, near Wrexham, began working as a carers fieldworker for AVOW in August, 2008.
After failing to get a satisfactory response to her grievances about working conditions Miss Bove resigned in March, 2009, and subsequently lodged a claim for unfair and constructive dismissal.
The tribunal upheld that claim and her claim of disability discrimination, based on the fact AVOW had failed to make reasonable adjustments for her disability, but was also guilty of direct discrimination and victimisation.
In addition to a basic award of £626, AVOW was ordered to pay her £8,000 plus interest for injury to feelings and compensation of £12,072, making a total of £21,177.
A date for the review panel to report has not been set.
Mr Rosenberg said: “Prior to this, well before the tribunal findings were reached, we made a number of changes to our practice which have received the approval of the Charities Commission.
“When the review panel has reported we will further update the Charity Commission of any actions which arise."