Crowdfunder for Ursula Doyle

[Lovelyview]

Ursula Doyle is taking Hachette to court: 'I have worked in publishing for 30 years. I have left my job after four years of hounding and abuse from peers who think I should not express my GC opinions nor publish authors who share them.' She published Kathleen Stock's Material Girls. There is a Crowdfunder at Crowdjustice.

We’ll be wanting the vote next, you mark my words.

My donating is a bit scattergun and I tend to give a bit here and there. But then I forget to whom I’ve donated!

Donated.

Thanks for the info OP 👍

22K and rising!

One thing I'm curious about - any legal experts able to comment? Ursula writes:

I don’t take your generosity for granted, and neither do my lawyers. They have agreed to act on the basis of a 'conditional fee agreement' under which they will bill me at a heavily discounted rate for all work on the case unless it is successful. If I win (or settle advantageously), I will pay their 'success fee' out of any compensation, not out of the crowdfunder.

But isn't this, like previous cases, an employment tribunal, in which it's very unusual to get any compensation, never mind compensation enough to pay the hundreds of thousands it seems to take to bring the cases? I would assume that unless the lawyers are really working pro bono, funds from the crowdfunder would be needed, even if Ursula committed all the compensation to that end. (To be clear, I don't think she should have to - I'd still be very happy to contribute to a crowdfunder on the understanding that any compensation went to compensate her.)

(or am I confused, is it getting costs that is very unusual in ETs?)

Thanks and wishing Ursula the very best with her case. ❤️

I think you're right, but not a legal expert.

One of the things that seems very unjust about Employment Tribunals is that there's an expectation people will bankrupt themselves even if they win, even if the employer treated them terribly and illegally because costs are not awarded. It's just weird and very, very, very unfair to employees and anyone who isn't a rich organisation, really.

I can see not expecting an individual to foot the employers costs but surely the other way around just puts people off bringing claims?

So close to hitting (first) target on day 1...

Made it!

Pledged - I presume there will be online access and a thread of kind mumsnetters keeping us all updated so we can send solidarity to Ursula whilst boggling at the bilge spouted by the defence?

Thanks, I've done some gardening

I see that someone has posted they prefer one bigger ammount rather than to split it up.
That makes sense, but also might leave people out completely.
I break it into 2 or 3, and go back to them if need be. I try to asses the most relevant for all, but dont neglect someone who is low profile and with little support. They're the ones I worry most about.

Gardened.

That makes sense, but also might leave people out completely.
I break it into 2 or 3, and go back to them if need be. I try to asses the most relevant for all, but dont neglect someone who is low profile and with little support.

You’re never going to be able to contribute to all. I often pledge my monthly limit to lower profile cases, especially in education.

Done. As much as I can I will keep donating to all these cases. Can't believe this keeps happening. Men can't become biological women.

I have thought this too. Employers can act illegally unless the employee has funds to take the employer to a tribunal and be prepared to get nothing even if they win

I tend to make an initial donation so I can receive updates about the case then in later months I chose some of the list to support, either because their case is very widely relevant or sometimes because they are not getting as much support as they need, especially if their court dates are imminent. I donated to Rachel Meade after her case was over as well as before.

I’ve had experience of bringing an employer to a tribunal and luckily the employee in question was a member of a Trade Union and so the union supplied all the legal support. However, as we know, TUs are unfriendly to GC members so I’m not sure that if a member asked for legal support in a tribunal relating to GC v Genderism whether or not the union would oblige. I think it’s a shocking state of affairs for members to be paying membership fees without clear information as to whether or not their Union would support them in a tribunal.

I also agree that expecting non-union employees to exhaust their savings to fight for their legal rights is disgraceful and acts as a barrier to justice.

Just received email indicating that Ursula and Hachette have settled - there's a statement on the case page. The statement is very thin, so much so that it's hard to see whether to count this as a win or a loss. Hachette have not admitted liability, but have promised to review their policies within three months to see whether they need to be changed (meh... though following the Supreme Court case, very likely they do!) It would be good to know whether money had changed hands and if so how much, but they have agreed not to share more than is in the statement. If anyone's better than I am at reading tealeaves, do share!

It's hard to tell - I guess she's been offered financial compensation and I also expect that's confidential since it didn't go through the court. So my guess is a win though I don't know for sure.

Anyway Ursula I very much hope you are pleased by the settlement and thank you for taking this up.

It's a win, trust me. Hachette have settled.

I don't have any insider knowledge, I should add, but in an ET case with a large employer v a single ex employee, 'settling' means a payment from the former to the latter. And confidentiality clause is standard.

Oh well done Ursula

Yes, she won. Can understand why she settled as v few openly GC women in publishing. V small world so immensely stressful 💐 to Ursula and a brickbat to publishing for losing a much respected editor

I can't read tea leaves but I can read between the lines and yes she won. I just hope she enjoys her well deserved holiday and takes all the time she needs to decide what to do next.