WPP settles Carmel Williamson court case, says it has a ‘deep commitment to diversity’ following ‘boys club’ allegations
WPP has settled the court case brought against it by former executive Carmel Williamson, who alleged that a “boys club” culture and lack of support led to her being fired.
The settlement was reported in multiple outlets last month when it had ‘settled in principle’, meaning the deed was not finalised. The case was officially finalised this week, when Williamson filed a notice of discontinuance. In a comment provided to Mumbrella, WPP confirmed the case has been “amicably resolved” and it took the allegations seriously given its “deep commitment to diversity”.
Williamson was with Team Red for just six months before being dismissed
So probably a safe guess to say they offered at least a quarter of a mil to make this go away?
Clever job hiding this release late on a Friday….
well played to her if she got some $$ out of them.
As someone who had dealings with both her and her employers, I had sympathies for both sides of the argument but ultimately, WPP can afford it and she’ll be finding it hard to work much in the industry moving forward, so I’m happy for her if she came out of it with some cash
I rate Carmel!
Vodafone
Missing in all this is how one person’s viewpoint (the client) has led to the dismissal and total career destruction of another (Carmel)
No one ever questions if the client was correct in their assessment do they? Client is always right we often hear
Sometimes I feel a client is too large to lose, so if they complain (fairly or unfairly), the agency reacts by sacking the employee rather than backing or redeploying them
Its really interesting that after months and months of denials, and totally rejecting Carmel’s arguments, that they decided to pay a fair sum to make this go away. Not many principles involved here at all
So what have WPP done to remedy the ‘Boys Club’ situation then?
So much for taking diversity seriously.
WPP AUS and Vodafone AUS and two peas in a pod. Utterly reprehensible corporations run with the utmost disrespect for employees and anyone with talent who shows a new way forward. They are modern day dinosaurs trapped in tar pits of their own filth, future curiosities rather than modern day competitors.
They must wallow in the same tar pit as NewsCorp!
Stop with calling it ‘boys club’ it’s ‘straight white, private boys school club’ and it’s about time it ended. Goodbye with them and their bullying ways.
Diversity = numbers’ talk only! The place still feels far from inclusive. Even WW HR people just do the “by the book” stuff on the cases like this one – no choice to survive unless you yes – ing “The Club” team..
Good on Carmel to bring it all up to public attention. Companies and execs need to be hold accountable.
That is ? true