IBM woman victimised by 4 female bosses gets £20,000

A WOMAN IBM manager victimised by four female bosses after raising concerns about sex discrimination has won more than £20,000 in compensation.

Dawn Davidsen repeatedly told her superiors the computer giant could face legal action from workers because of bullying, harassment and the scheduling of work calls on weekends.

She warned that women could claim having to take such calls on days off was sex discrimination.

A tribunal heard she was branded a ‘mother hen’ who had ‘gone native’ by female managers who targeted her for raising concerns.

IBM executives Joanne Czekalowska, Samantha McFarland, Sandra Oliveira and Claire Bryant have now been found guilty of victimising Mrs Davidsen, 54, while the firm has been ordered to pay compensation.

A three-year legal battle ended last

‘Indirect sex discrimination’

week after the publication of the final judgment in the case by Employment Judge Laurence Anstis.

The tribunal in Reading heard problems began after Mrs Davidsen, who had worked for IBM since 1996, was given a managerial job in 2016 that involved supporting staff at The Weather Company (TWC), a meteorological firm purchased by IBM.

In June 2017 she told acquisitions executive Miss McFarland she was worried about the ‘toxic environment’ at TWC, including staff being shouted at, which could result in claims against IBM.

She said one female employee was being harassed to work on days off, including having 8am calls on Saturdays. Mrs Davidsen told the hearing she warned Miss McFarland ‘that as women predominantly had responsibility for childare, calls out of normal working hours have a disproportionate effect on them, which would be indirect sex discrimination’.

Mrs Davidsen continued to raise concerns to bosses including Miss Bryant and the tribunal heard that Miss Czekalowska, a director, then sought advice about dealing with an ‘underperforming’ employee, later acknowledged to be Mrs Davidsen.

Up to that point there was no record of anyone raising concerns about her, the tribunal heard.

Soon afterwards, Miss Oliveira also told Mrs Davidsen her performance was disappointing and Miss McFarland wrote to HR saying: ‘I strongly believe she is in the wrong job. We didn’t advertise for a mother hen who needed to go native.’ In January 2018, before giving Mrs Davidsen a poor score in her annual review, Miss Bryant described her as ‘an awkward git’.

The following month Mrs Davidsen went on long-term sick leave with work-related stress and launched legal proceedings.

IBM and the four managers were found by the tribunal to have victimised her in ten instances.

The firm was ordered to pay her £20,000 damages and an unspecified sum to cover the difference between her full salary and the sick pay she received for almost three years.

She has since returned to work at IBM as a business consultant.