Senior public servant allegedly busted trash-talking new director-general
A workplace appeal application from Department of Primary Industries executive manager Karen Dawson was dismissed, with the senior public servant to face internal disciplinary action after she made 'inappropriate and unprofessional' remarks about Graeme Bolton soon after he was unveiled as director-general last year.
It was also alleged she shared disparaging comments about other department employees, with some of the trash-talking shared with colleagues who report to her.
According to a ruling from the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission, Dawson dismissed claims she engaged in disrespectful conversations about two colleagues as an 'honest debrief in response to workplace events'. She also claimed her remarks were 'factual'.
She said the comments were 'private, reactive, and not intended to be disrespectful'.
In response to claims she slagged off Bolton over a Teams chat, Dawson said the 'private' views shared were 'based on our professional knowledge and experience'.
She said the remarks about the new department boss were 'informed by observable workplace dynamics' and were never intended to be 'taken out of context and misrepresented'.
Dawson told the commission her discussions were not directed at individuals in a 'malicious manner, but rather reflected honest reactions to workplace dynamics'.
But the department said the remarks about Bolton shared with a subordinate of hers were 'inappropriate, unprofessional and improper', and a 'serious breach of the professional boundaries with a direct report and not aligned with building and maintaining positive relationships'.
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