Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

RetailLatest NewsEthicsRace discriminationDiscipline

Former chief executive takes Clarks to tribunal over misconduct claims

by Ashleigh Webber 30 Sep 2019
by Ashleigh Webber 30 Sep 2019 Image: Shutterstock
Image: Shutterstock

The former Clarks chief executive is taking the firm to an employment tribunal, claiming he was not given the opportunity to defend a claim of misconduct before he left the company.

Mike Shearwood, who was asked to leave the shoe retailer last year following allegations of racism and sexism, claims he was ousted because he tried to blow the whistle on questionable accounting practices.

Defending a tribunal claim

How to decide whether to settle or fight an employment tribunal claim

In an employment tribunal that starts in Bristol today (30 September), Shearwood will claim he was given a list of allegations at a board meeting in June 2018, just hours before his departure was announced by the company. Clarks said he breached the company’s code of ethics.

He is alleged to have called black people “violent”, used racist language in a text message, and called an Asian woman a “thing”. He has denied the allegations, or claimed they were taken out of context.

In a statement, Clarks said it rejected all allegations raised by Shearwood and said it stood by the circumstances surrounding the termination of his employment.

It said: “Mr Shearwood resigned from Clarks following an investigation into complaints of conduct contrary to the family-owned company’s Code of Business Ethics. The investigation showed that MS’s conduct fell short of the behaviours expected of all its senior management on several occasions.

“It is Clarks’ firmly held belief that Mr Shearwood is fabricating a frivolous and vexatious narrative surrounding his time at Clarks purely with the intent of eliciting a termination payment from the business. Clarks made it clear at the time of his departure that his behaviour was such as to warrant no compensatory or notice payment.

“Clarks hopes the tribunal will agree with us and see Mr Shearwood’s claim for the tactical device it is. This is a calculated attempt to damage the Clarks business and its reputation.”

HR roles in retail and wholesale on Personnel Today


Browse more HR roles in retail and wholesale

Ashleigh Webber
Ashleigh Webber

Ashleigh is editor of OHW+ and HR and wellbeing editor at Personnel Today. Ashleigh's areas of interest include employee health and wellbeing, equality and inclusion and skills development. She has hosted many webinars for Personnel Today, on topics including employee retention, financial wellbeing and menopause support. Prior to joining Personnel Today in 2018, she covered the road transport sector for Commercial Motor and Motor Transport magazines, touching on some of the employment and wellbeing issues experienced by those in road haulage.

previous post
Remote working roles have doubled in four years
next post
Private sector warned of IR35 talent drain

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

You may also like

Examiner was worker, not self-employed, finds tribunal

30 May 2023

English nationalism is not a philosophical belief, says...

22 May 2023

Covid-resignation driving examiner to have tribunal claim reheard

19 May 2023

Embryologist unfairly dismissed after whistleblowing

18 May 2023

How ‘quiet layoffs’ could result in tribunal claims

11 May 2023

Law firm partner fined £45k for lewd song

10 May 2023

£3m award for unfairly dismissed Isle of Man...

4 May 2023

MPs call for Employment Bill in King’s Speech

21 Apr 2023

Trade union officer was not an employee, EAT...

18 Apr 2023

Worker unfairly dismissed following offensive Facebook posts

13 Apr 2023

  • The HR Bundle: Your one-stop guide to building a successful global HR Department PROMOTED | Get your hands on Deel’s free HR bundle...Read more
  • The Benefits of an Employee Assistance Programme PROMOTED | EAPs support employees in a range of ways...Read more
  • Intergenerational working and how to manage up and down the generations PROMOTED | The benefits and challenges of intergenerational workplaces...Read more
  • Bereavement in the workplace: How training can help HR get it right PROMOTED | HR professionals play an essential role...Read more
  • UK workforce mental wellbeing needs PROMOTED | The mental wellbeing support employers are providing misses the mark...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2023

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2023 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+