Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • 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
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • 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
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Bullying and harassmentLocal authoritiesHR practice

Under-fire Islington HR chief to leave council by mutual consent

by Mike Berry 25 Feb 2010
by Mike Berry 25 Feb 2010

Exclusive


Islington Council’s under-fire HR director Maria King is to leave the local authority at the end of this month.

King has been suspended from work on full pay since mid-December following an independent investigation into several allegations of bullying and harassment against her – understood to have been filed by senior members of her HR team.

A council spokesman confirmed that King was leaving by mutual consent, but refused to say whether she would receive a pay-off.

Council insiders have expressed their anger at the move, with one claiming staff were “pissed off and demotivated” and accused council bosses of a whitewashing over King’s “terrible behaviour”.

Several senior HR professionals have quit the council in recent months, said to be frustrated with King’s alleged behaviour and at the delays in concluding the official investigation.

A disciplinary hearing was set for earlier this month, which also examined whether the correct procedures were followed when appointing external consultants for lucrative HR contracts.

The council spokesman confirmed that no disciplinary action would be taken against King, saying: “Since taking up her role in 2002, Ms King has transformed the quality and standard of HR and organisational development at Islington Council. She leaves by mutual consent.

“A thorough investigation was carried out after allegations were made about the council’s director of HR. In light of Ms King’s departure from the service, no further action will be taken.”

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

In an e-mail seen by Personnel Today, Louise Round, Islington’s corporate director of resources, thanked staff “for the professional way you have all conducted yourselves over the last few months”.

She also confirmed that interim HR director Richard Mycroft would stay at the council while a permanent replacement was recruited.

Mike Berry

previous post
CIPD Associate membership level will boost HR recognition
next post
Reward and benefits: Sweetening the deal

You may also like

With HR absence rising, is your people team...

24 Jun 2025

BBC Breakfast bullying and misconduct allegations under investigation

20 Jun 2025

Barts nurse told to remove watermelon image claims...

19 Jun 2025

Healthdaq: Shaking up health and social care recruitment

11 Jun 2025

Birmingham bin workers vote to continue strikes

6 Jun 2025

NDA ban vital to tackling misogyny in music...

4 Jun 2025

Disability harassment and discrimination ‘shockingly high’

3 Jun 2025

Black security manager awarded £360k after decade of...

20 May 2025

Union rep teacher awarded £370k for unfair dismissal

15 May 2025

Ministers urged to outlaw misuse of NDAs

7 May 2025

  • Empowering working parents and productivity during the summer holidays SPONSORED | Businesses play a...Read more
  • AI is here. Your workforce should be ready. SPONSORED | From content creation...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 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • 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
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+