Exclusive:Fresh allegations of cronyism, bullying and racism at HES emerge as tribunal looms
Fresh insight into allegations of bullying, racism and harassment have been revealed as a senior HR manager moves to take the quango to an employment tribunal
Fresh allegations of cronyism, bullying and racism at Historic Environment Scotland have emerged as a former senior member of staff takes the troubled quango to an employment tribunal.
The complaint from a senior HR manager levels a raft of serious claims against a number of leaders at the organisation.
In a detailed 12-page statement, the woman outlines alleged incidents involving a number of the most senior members of staff at HES and makes claims of a “culture of trying to cover up or downplay serious allegations” made against key personnel.
The woman, who is an experienced HR professional with more than 20 years’ experience, claims she was undermined and sidelined while trying to do her work because of her race.
In her complaint, she states: “What has unravelled [at HES] is something I have never experienced in my 22 years working as an HR professional.”
Several of the incidents detailed in the woman’s complaint have already been exclusively revealed by The Scotsman over the past year.
However, her complaint gives further detail of how HR issues connected to the incidents were dealt with within the quango.
READ MORE:Historic Environment Scotland CEO Katerina Brown 'to step down' from role at crisis-hit quango
As previously reported, in August 2024 allegations of racism were made against operations director Craig Mearns and a grievance was lodged against him.
The woman bringing the employment tribunal was the HR manager providing advice in the case.
She alleges that two senior figures at the organisation repeatedly tried to interfere in the HR investigation and petitioned another member of the HR team to have the case dealt with informally.
Despite pressure to have the investigation dropped, the allegations against Mr Mearns were upheld by HES. Mr Mearns has now left the organisation.
The claimant also details being asked by a senior member of staff whether she knew the then government minister Kaukab Stewart, with the insinuation that all Asian people know each other.
A similar situation is detailed regarding a grievance raised against another senior HES figure who was found to have twerked in front of actor Martin Compston at a HES event at Edinburgh Castle. She was also investigated over allegations of sexual harassment.
The HR manager says her department faced pressure to drop the allegations – which were later upheld – and that her professional advice was repeatedly undermined.
In her claim submitted to the tribunal, the woman alleges directors wanted to avoid disciplining the staff member because she “brings in a lot of revenue”.
The employee at the centre of the claims left the organisation in June.
The HR manager goes on to say, in another section of her complaint, that HES CEO Katerina Brown – who has now stepped down from the role – received an anonymous email complaint about procurement irregularities.
A board member agreed that the severity of the allegations against marketing director Stephen Duncan should be investigated.
However, the woman claims the board member then changed position following a discussion with a senior colleague.
Her complaint reads: “I spoke with [an HR colleague] straight after this meeting, and she was visibly and vocally concerned with the lack of seriousness.”
She says that team members felt the situation was like “a cover up from the top”.
The woman also says that HES’s legal advisers identified gaps in the report regarding Mr Duncan’s actions.
The HR manager’s complaint adds: “These gaps should have prompted further investigation, and instead the report was completed to say no case to answer on them.”
Later, further concerns were raised and an investigation was launched, which is still ongoing.
The complainant also describes an incident during an investigatory meeting where a staff member accused of wrongdoing became aggressive and threatening.
“The way I was treated on the day constituted bullying, vicious, threatening behaviour and made me feel extremely unsafe with no support provided,” she writes.
The staff member “shouted, was threatening, visually aggressive and borderline vicious towards me,” she adds.
The statement reads: “All the above demonstrates a culture of trying to cover up or downplay serious allegations and investigation in HES of senior people by allowing poor, discriminatory behaviour and activity.
“While all this is going on I have tried my best to ensure that HES as an organisation behaves above board following due process regardless of grade - as is expected of any organisation let alone a public sector one.”
The complaint adds: “We are treating our executive team with much lower standards to that of anyone else in HES.”
The HR professional claims issues were being “brushed under the carpet”, with the approach, allegedly taken at the behest of senior leaders, posing a “huge reputational and organisational” risk.
“Every time a serious case comes up with a senior person involved, the wellbeing of them is more of a concern than those affected by their actions,” the complainant adds.
“The systematic racism and sexism in HES are no longer, and never was, acceptable. I feel completely unsafe, exposed, vulnerable and anxious about working at HES,” the statement adds.
The complainant asks that she be “treated as an equal regardless of my ethnicity and gender”.
She also asks that her experience and knowledge be respected and that behaviour be dealt with in line with relevant HES policies and legislation.
It is understood that the woman’s concerns raised in the grievance were dismissed and that the HR manager left the organisation.
She is now in the process of employment tribunal proceedings and, it is further understood, HES intends to defend the tribunal.
A spokeswoman for Historic Environment Scotland said “it would not be appropriate to comment in detail on matters that are now the subject of ongoing legal proceedings.”
“However, HES rejects any suggestion that concerns of this nature were ignored,” the spokeswoman added.
“The allegations were examined through multiple stages of review and investigation and were considered through a number of formal processes.
“As an organisation, we remain committed to maintaining a respectful, inclusive and safe working environment for all staff, and we take that responsibility very seriously.”
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