The ongoing dispute between former HR director Jane Davies and Post Office chief Nick Read has escalated, with Davies alleging that Read was "obsessed with his pay" and resorted to defaming and ostracizing her when he didn't receive the desired increase. Davies claimed that Read threatened to resign multiple times over his pay, and when his requests were denied, he initiated a deliberate campaign against her.
These revelations come after an investigation last week, which reportedly cleared Read of all misconduct allegations. However, Davies disputed this, stating that Read's threats to resign were substantiated by numerous email exchanges concerning his pay and his willingness to submit a formal grievance or claim for constructive dismissal.
Read, who became chief executive of the Post Office in 2019 amidst the Horizon scandal and declining revenues, has a salary significantly higher than the median UK wage, leading to criticism from Davies regarding his fixation on pay. Despite being offered a 5% pay rise, Read reportedly found it insulting and considered Davies a failure for not securing a higher increase, leading to a campaign to discredit her.
Davies also accused the Post Office of misinterpreting her complaint, which she claimed was solely about Read, and accused them of widening the scope of the investigation to suit another agenda. However, the Post Office defended its handling of the investigation, stating that a reputable barrister's report fully exonerated Read and discredited many of the claims raised by Davies and former chair Henry Staunton.
The dispute underscores ongoing tensions within the Post Office, separate from the Horizon scandal, and raises questions about the integrity of the investigation and the handling of misconduct allegations.
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