Thread by @charlieboylert

Fascinating to see the same public authority that have been telling me I've done a fantastic job, CEO of the same organisation now calls me "rude and aggressive" when I raise legitimate policy concerns about staff being ORDERED back to the office!! @Brent_Council @DawnButlerBrent

My contract as a manager was terminated without any warning, despite the fact that I had already resigned! I needed to work my notice, to make sure that the 4 staff I managed were all OK. Here's the irony, I doubt they would have had the guts to do this, had I been in the office!

I had to fight tooth and nail just to get my notice paid. It wouldn't have surprised me if they accused me of gross misconduct, but luckily I think they realised that they didn't have a leg to stand on, thank God! I am also still chasing them for numerous days in lieu from Xmas!

People have been constantly telling me what amazing progress I have made the last few months at Brent "things that have been wrong for years" But talk is cheap. As proved by my current situation. It came at huge sacrifice, including working constantly over Christmas & New Year

Although I'm a journalist, I am also an accountant by background and I go into large companies to help them out with their finance and systems problems. Most are always grateful, and they love the fact that I constantly question the norms, until I say something they don't like!

This is the email I got from the CEO of Brent Council. Just to let you know that I was not "rude and aggressive" at all. The issue was that I was criticising the regime. & she didn't like it. Nobody ever criticises! By the way, I was not suggesting EVERYONE should work from HOME.

Literally minutes after she sent me that correspondence, she must have asked for my IT access to be disabled. Nobody told me, I was working away... Would they have had the guts to do this if I had been in the office? It's the manner in which it was done that I take issue with!!

This all started when I was given an UNPAID promotion over a month ago! My finance bank reconciliations team was moved out of finance and into IT! In the most ludicrous and ridiculous staff lift and shift I have ever seen in my 20 year career as a finance consultant and advisor

Independent Journalist @charlieboylert Available For TV & Podcasts. 2021 Highlight? Top Headline On BBC1 NEWS "This lab is clearly still testing, despite government press releases saying that it's operationally suspended!" @PRJournoRequest #JournoRequest

One of the Directors let slip that it was political pressure forcing the move by @Brent_Council CEO Carolyn Downs to force people back to work with a "BACK TO THE OFFICE ORDER", as a blanket rule while we are still experiencing over a thousand covid deaths a week! @Sandyboots2020

And by the way, this blanket policy only seems to be applied when it suits Brent Council. The PA to the Finance Director told me on my 1st day that she was allowed to work in the Middle East for months at a time, during the various rounds of restrictions, Nepotism & Favoritism!!

It also makes me laugh, how many genuinely rude & incompetent people they have there for years, that @Brent_Council find it near on impossible to get rid of, and yet they can terminate my access to the point where it looks like I never even existed in 30 seconds flat @Ian_Fraser

This is an email from the Brent Deputy Finance Director, a really sound bloke by the way. Basically suggesting that I would have a change of manager from next week, he was clearly sympathetic to my concerns, he clearly cares. Then Carolyn Downs CEO gets involved & it's game over!

Just a few things to clarify:
1, I live 200 miles away from the Brent office
2, Based on my location, I made it clear I would be remote!
3, Others in similar role that live around the corner were not forced to come back
4, my concerns were more around the 1 size fits all policy

For full transparency & clarity, here is the email I sent that was deemed to be "rude and aggressive" by CEO Carolyn Downs. This in the context of days of being totally ignored and palmed off to other people! I was speaking metaphorically when I was referring to balls by the way

Background: I have 3 intermediaries, Brent managed service agy, my recruitment agy that pay my Umbrella comp, and my Umbrella co! So I don't even know which of the 4 organisations I even need to lodge an official escalation with. Any direction much appreciated. Hope not necessary

Thanks so much for all the kind words, in response to this thread! It really means a lot. It is easy to forget that thousands of us have to deal with this sort of thing on a daily basis, I'm glad I was able to articulate it and put it into context. Thank you again, Charlie Boyle

If any journalists want to do a story on this story that so many people can relate to, let's do it! @PRJournoRequest #journorequest @Ian_Fraser @davidnabarro @bbclaurak @JanetEastham @DavidParsley50 @sharron_honey @Sandyboots2020 @GMB @SkyNews @SkyNewsBreak @Channel4News @itn

@Brent_Council CEO CAROLYN DOWNS must be really busy by the way. According to the Deputy Finance Director (he let this one slip out), escalation of my concerns basically involves Carolyn going into his office, saying that I'm giving her a headache and asking him to deal with it!

If @Brent_Council CEO spent time looking at my valid points, rather than searching for something to be offended about, & here's an outrageous thought, actually had a conversation with me? She might have realised that I was trying to help! Because that's my job, to solve problems!

My career in the corporate world revolves around dealing with frustration, building rapport in messy situations and trying to help people solve problems. It's ironic that there are only 2 people in Brent I had issue with. If that wasn't the case, I wouldn't have lasted 4.5 months