In May the trustees of Forward Coupar Angus asked their newly-appointed manager Pam Mulgrew to carry out a community consultation. She prepared a questionnaire asking people what they thought of Forward Coupar Angus, and what sort of things it should do. The questionnaire was approved by the chairman of FCA and by the Development Trust Assocation of Scotland. Pam then posted it to members and published it in the Coupar Angus Facebook group. After receiving nearly 100 responses, she drew up a report based on what people had said.
Unfortunately one of the trustees didn’t like the report. She grilled Pam aggressively for an hour and a half, alleging that her report was poor and the questions biased (in spite of them being approved by the chairman and the DTA). Pam felt so intimidated by this experience that she asked the board of Forward Coupar Angus to either approve or reject her report without her attendance at their next meeting.
A short time later Pam received a phonecall from the same trustee, insisting that she came to The Y for a meeting. Pam asked three times for the purpose of the meeting, but no answer was given.
On arriving at The Y, she found out to her horror and disbelief that she was to face a formal disciplinary hearing with the trustee and a Perth and Kinross Conservative councillor.
By failing to give Pam a full explanation of the purpose of the meeting beforehand, and failing to tell her that she was entitled to bring someone with her, the trustees were in clear breach of Government and ACAS guidelines.
Pam is not someone to meekly accept this kind of bullying, and accused the trustee of being a “control freak”. As a result, Pam was accused of “gross misconduct” and sacked.
Pam believes the real reason for her dismissal is that she dared to report accurately what local people had said about Forward Coupar Angus, and what they wanted the organisation to do. Links to the report are provided below:
Unfortunately one of the trustees didn’t like the report. She grilled Pam aggressively for an hour and a half, alleging that her report was poor and the questions biased (in spite of them being approved by the chairman and the DTA). Pam felt so intimidated by this experience that she asked the board of Forward Coupar Angus to either approve or reject her report without her attendance at their next meeting.
A short time later Pam received a phonecall from the same trustee, insisting that she came to The Y for a meeting. Pam asked three times for the purpose of the meeting, but no answer was given.
On arriving at The Y, she found out to her horror and disbelief that she was to face a formal disciplinary hearing with the trustee and a Perth and Kinross Conservative councillor.
By failing to give Pam a full explanation of the purpose of the meeting beforehand, and failing to tell her that she was entitled to bring someone with her, the trustees were in clear breach of Government and ACAS guidelines.
Pam is not someone to meekly accept this kind of bullying, and accused the trustee of being a “control freak”. As a result, Pam was accused of “gross misconduct” and sacked.
Pam believes the real reason for her dismissal is that she dared to report accurately what local people had said about Forward Coupar Angus, and what they wanted the organisation to do. Links to the report are provided below:
- FORWARD COUPAR ANGUS SURVEY RESPONSES, REPORT Pam Mulgrew 4 June 2020
- THE HIGH STREET STORE, PROPOSAL FOR FUTURE USE, 4 June 2020
- ADDENDUM TO SURVEY REPORT, 7 June 2020
- QUESTIONNAIRE
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