Whistleblower sacked at Hugo Boss store

Jun 5 2008 by Jule Wilson, The Journal

A MANAGER at a premier fashion store says she was fired after blowing the whistle on a senior staff member she thought was stealing stock.

Lesley Gray, who claims unfair dismissal, told a Newcastle employment tribunal yesterday she had been sacked after making the allegation.

But fashion store Hugo Boss says she was dismissed because she had shouted at staff and had an aggressive management style. Ms Gray was employed as assistant manager of the Hugo Boss concession in Fenwick department store in February last year. But in April 2007 Ms Gray, who now works at Yves Saint Laurent in Boots at Newcastle, told the company she had seen a superior member of staff taking shirts and ties either without paying or claiming a refund after wearing them at events outside work without authorisation.

The panel was told Ms Gray’s allegation was investigated and the staff member suspended. But he was reinstated after the claim was deemed unfounded.

On April 30 last year, nine days after Ms Gray’s allegation and three months after her appointment, her probationary period was extended.

She told the hearing: “I was very upset. I didn’t expect it at the time and was very hurt. I felt it was an overreaction by the management and I was very upset about it because I knew my standards of work and personal skills were excellent.”

But Hugo Boss national human resources manager Louisa Laudham said concerns had been raised by other staff at the Fenwick concession about Ms Gray’s management style. She said the assistant manager’s eventual dismissal, by not being offered a contract last June, had nothing to do with the theft allegation.

Ms Laudham said she had received reports from junior staff that Ms Gray had shouted at colleagues in front of others and been unprofessional and aggressive.

She said: “I found her behaviour to be inappropriate. To treat staff in that manner despite what else might be going on, in the position of assistant manager, I felt meant she was not reaching company standards of professionalism.”

Andrew Webster, for Ms Gray, said dismissal had been a ludicrous overreaction and after her allegation of theft, the chain had decided on dismissal at all costs.

He said she had been called to a meeting on June 1 last year without being told what it was about, given documents on complaints about her and dismissed, all within 15 minutes.

The panel retired to consider its decision and will inform both sides in writing.