Online travel agency refutes that it bullied and excluded official from work
Webjet has maintained that it terminated its chief legal counsel for underperformance amid allegations by the former executive of bullying and exclusion in an ongoing dispute over her departure.
The online travel agency denied Meaghan Simpson's claims that she was bullied and excluded from work after she raised concerns with the résumé of Webjet CEO Katrina Barry, the Australian Financial Review reported.
Simpson questioned Barry's claim that she had 25 years of executive-level experience, and alleged that the CEO did not really hold directorships over companies such as Westpac Securities and Virgin Active Australia.
The former executive then claimed that she was terminated after she threatened to bring her concerns to the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, according to the AFR's reports.
But Webjet stated that Simpson's exit in June was not because of her concerns, as it maintained confidence in its CEO's résumé.
"The case is not about Ms Barry's CV. It is about why the applicant's employment was terminated and Webjet further reiterates that Ms Simpson's employment was terminated for underperformance," a Webjet spokesperson told the AFR in a statement.
"Webjet refutes the characterisation of the allegation regarding employee shares but doesn't intend to make any further statement while the matter is before the court. Webjet is confident in its position."
Former executive's alleged behaviour
The statement comes after the online travel agency made new court filings with the Federal Court responding to Simpson's accusations.
The company alleged that Meaghan Simpson was not receptive to "reasonable delivered feedback," the AFR reported.
She would also respond with comments such as "well, you're the boss."
Simpson denied the accusations and claimed that CEO Katrina Barry did not raise any concerns about how she dealt with colleagues generally.
She further said that Barry praised her and said the CEO thought she was "'f---ing good' and 'exceptional,'" according to the AFR's report.
