Engage Fundraising says pregnant employee was sacked for signing up bogus donors
A charity fundraising company has launched an investigation after it was ordered to pay out £12,000 to a woman sacked for being pregnant.
Engage Fundraising says it is to review the case of Teri Cumlin, who won a tribunal against the company for unfair dismissal and sexual discrimination.
The company is to appeal against the judgement because it said it was “completely unaware” of the legal proceedings and therefore not able to defend itself at the tribunal.
At the Glasgow employment tribunal Cumlin said she was sacked because she was pregnant and that her manager Mark Robertson had told her to have an abortion.
However, Engage said the judgement was “simply a one-sided account of the employee.”
We want a full review of the case - Engage
Instead the company claims Cumlin, 23, of Maryhill, Glasgow, was first suspended in December, then dismissed a week later, following allegations staff were fraudulently signing up fellow team members as potential charity donors.
She was one of three employees sacked at the time.
A spokesman for Engage said Cumlin made sexual discrimination claims against her team manager last autumn, four months before her dismissal.
At the time the Mr Robertson was suspended while an internal investigation took place. He was later cleared.
"We did investigate Teri's claims at the time. But in light of the tribunal's judgement have ordered another investigation," said the spokesman.
“We want a full review of the case and, if our working practices are not up to scratch, then we will of course move to strengthen them.
"We will not tolerate sexism in the workplace."
When Cumlin went to tribunal, papers relating to the case never reached Engage Fundraising's old address and the company missed out on the opportunity to defend itself, said the spokesman.
Engage only became aware of the case and verdict this week after being contacted by a Scottish newspaper.
"We moved our offices and our post was redirected for three months and, unfortunately, we missed the chance to respond to the action as we did not receive the tribunal papers.
“We are now looking at appealing," said the spokesman.
