Prof Jo Phoenix vs The OU - Employment Tribunal Thread 3

[ickky]

Started on 2nd October at Watford Employment Tribunal (Radius House, 51 Clarendon Rd, Watford WD17 1HP 01923 281750)

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Header should read

URGENT CURRENT CASE - Public Access Request - J Phoenix - The Open University - 3322700/2021

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Abbreviations

JP - Jo Phoenix, Claimant (C)
OU - The Open University, Respondent (R)
J - Regional Employment Judge Young
P - Panel or panel member
BC - Ben Cooper KC, Counsel for C
JM - Jane Mulcahy KC, Counsel for R

OU Departments & Networks:

HWSRA - Health & Wellbeing Strategic Research Area
FASS - Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
SPC - Dept of Social Policy & Criminology
KMi - Knowledge Media Institute
GCRN - Gender Critical Research Network

OU witnesses

PB - Dr Paraskevi Boukli, Former Senior Lecturer Criminology, Deputy Head SPC 2021-22
IF - Prof Ian Fribbance Dean of FASS
DD - Dr Deborah Drake, Senior Lecturer Criminology, Head of SPC 2018-21
LD - Dr Leigh Downes, Senior Lecturer in Criminology (in SPC), Academic Lead for EDI FASS 2019-21
CT - Catherine Tomlinson, Senior Student Advisor
LW - Louise Westmarland, Prof of Criminology, Co-Deputy Head SPC, 2018-21, Current Head SPC
MW - Prof Marcia Wilson, Dean EDI, 2020-23
CM - Caragh Molloy, Group People Director 2019-23
JD - John Domingue, Prof of Computing Science, Director KMi, 2015-22
PK - Peter Keogh, Professor Health & Society, Member RSSH
CW - Dr Christopher Williams, Senior Lecturer History
SD - Shaun Daley, Head OU’s Resourcing Hub. Head Strategic Resources, Co-Chair OU’s LGBT+ Staff Network
HBC - Helen Bowes-Catton, Lecturer Social Research Methods
NS - Nicola Snarey, Assoc Lecturer Eng Language
NatS - Natalie Starkey, Outreach & Public Engagement Officer Sch Physical Sciences, 2019-22
CT - Cath Tomlinson, Senior Student Advisor
SJ - Samantha Jacobson, Employee Relations Case Manager
RH - Richard Holliman, Prof Engaged Research, Head School Environment, Earth & Ecosystem Sciences, 2019-22. Member of Investigation Panel investigating the C’s grievance

Witness for JP:

SE - Sarah Earle, Professor Modern History Uni of Oxford, Founding member GCRN

Tribunal Tweets - https://twitter.com/tribunaltweets

TT coverage so far https://tribunaltweets.substack.com/p/professor-jo-phoenix-v-the-open-university

Thread 1 https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/4905118-jo-phoenix-vs-the-ou-employment-tribunal-2nd-october-whispers-ben-cooper?page=1

Thread 2
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/4913946-prof-jo-phoenix-vs-the-ou-employment-tribunal-thread-2?page=1

It seems awfully convenient not to have ever read it.

Didn't read it?!

Good lord - must work at our HR place (we've never been able to work out what they do, apart from responding to any email to say that the query is about something they don't do.)

Disgraceful, what a corker!
But good for the case!😀

BC: There was urgency in this case. Ongoing behaviour of which JP complaining.

CM: It was complicated [bingo]. Lots of competing needs.

Well I think that's the biggest tick ever in the 'I didn't read it' box.

CM - This was clearing a very complex situation

How the fuck would you know, you didn't even read the grievance!

Quite.

As an HR professional it’s people like this who give us a bad rep.

You always read it to see if there is anything you can do immediately to improve the situation.

CM, taking a moment to read

Well at least she is now reading.

Thanks - still waiting.

BC sounding angry

Ooh - Ben is getting annoyed

She's getting testy.
CM - I can't say for certain if I ever read them.

Hmm Good at not reading grievances isn't on on her c.v.

BC I am so astonished that you didn't read the grievance.

Was 'maybe it would be helpful to provide some context' on the bingo card?

I roughly translate this as - here's my excuse for not doing my job.

BC: Did you at least read the first four paras of the grievance?

CM: I can't say for certain if I read them at the time.

BC: This is the problem of the person in charge of dealing with this problem at the time not even reading the first four paras of a serious grievance.

CM: The uni has 10,000 people - [need that on the bingo card].

BC: I am so astonished by your answer that you didn't even read the grievance that we have to take a moment

She is all over the place. Ben is starting to sound a bit short.

Detecting notes of witness snippiness with BC already. BC allowing a bit of incredulity to show in his voice and is astonished the head of HR never read the grievance.

Bingo card - the OU has 10000 people

But, but, but - she had 10,000 people in her department!

I mean...🤨

Late joining today, pesky real life job intruding on my viewing time. I'm sitting in the lobby it seems.

If we accept that she was very busy (bingo) then surely a member of the grievance committee should have alerted her to what has turned out to be a massive shit show?

CM - waffle waffle, you need to understand the context, biggest uni, very busy,
Bingo, bingo,bingo

BC - Your own email about the working group and its purpose: to deal with issues consistently, complaints managed per process and manage reputation. How can you possibly do that if you don't even read the complaints?

BC: How can you and the working groups possibly ensure consistency and proper handling of complaints if you don't even read the complaints.

CM: I disagree. It is normal for a senior HR person in an organisation of that size not to be reading grievances in detail.

Can't have it both ways - if it's THAT complicated and THAT contentious then you READ THE BLOODY grievance.

You CANNOT say 'it's complicated' or 'it's contentious' if you are relying on hearsay to draw those two conclusions and HAVEN'T READ THE GRIEVANCE.

What a slap in the face for Jo.