Remark ‘indelicate but not scathing’

Jan 5 2008 by Jule Wilson, The Journal

Partner ‘gobsmacked’ by offer

A PARTNER in the law firm defending itself against the discrimination claim of Naomi Mainwaring said he was “gobsmacked” when she offered to leave for £30,000.

Mrs Mainwaring told the employment tribunal on Wednesday she held employment law specialist Short Richardson and Forth responsible for the early birth of her daughter Niamh.

She became pregnant six months after joining the firm.

Its staff partner Max Winthrop told the tribunal yesterday that on receiving Mrs Mainwaring’s formal complaint of harassment against her supervising partner Lesley Crinson, he invited Mrs Mainwaring to a grievance hearing which she had said she felt unable to attend. He said he thought her suggestion of a £30,000 payment was “somewhat inflated”.

“To be perfectly frank, I was so gobsmacked by the figure, which was so divorced from reality from someone who was still an employee, and seemed to me to be somewhat inflated.”

He responded with disbelief to Mrs Mainwaring’s statement on Wednesday that she had felt unable to travel into Newcastle at this time because of sickness brought on by anxiety.

He said: “I find some of Mrs Mainwaring’s allegations difficult to accept. It’s not for me to pass views on things that should be decided by a medical expert, but I would have thought that problems of sickness when pregnant were more than likely due to morning sickness rather than any stress-related condition.

“I would take a lot of convincing that someone had been suffering from something amounting to post-traumatic stress disorder. But I accept that people’s relationships break down.” He had suggested letting her and Mrs Crinson work on different floors.

On behalf of Mrs Mainwaring, solicitor Sharon Langridge said: “It was never going to happen they were going to continue to work in the same place and have no contact. Unwillingness to accept that offer was not unreasonable.

“She did not want to work in the same building with the same person that made her sick.”