This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2013/mar/05/lord-sugar-overpaid-lackey-apprentice
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Lord Sugar made me overpaid lackey, claims Apprentice winner Stella English | Lord Sugar made me overpaid lackey, claims Apprentice winner Stella English |
| (4 months later) | |
| A winner of TV show The Apprentice claimed Lord Sugar told her he did not "give a shit" when she resigned from the £100,000-a-year job he gave her when she came face to face with him at an employment tribunal. | A winner of TV show The Apprentice claimed Lord Sugar told her he did not "give a shit" when she resigned from the £100,000-a-year job he gave her when she came face to face with him at an employment tribunal. |
| Stella English, 34, beat 15 other wannabe apprentices to win series six of the hit BBC1 show in 2010. | Stella English, 34, beat 15 other wannabe apprentices to win series six of the hit BBC1 show in 2010. |
| She was rewarded with a role in Sugar's Viglen division, supplying IT equipment to academy schools, but said that when the millionaire business mogul told her he would not be renewing her contract she was given no choice but to resign. | She was rewarded with a role in Sugar's Viglen division, supplying IT equipment to academy schools, but said that when the millionaire business mogul told her he would not be renewing her contract she was given no choice but to resign. |
| She is claiming constructive dismissal against Sugar, describing the £100,000-a-year role she was given as that of an "overpaid lackey". | She is claiming constructive dismissal against Sugar, describing the £100,000-a-year role she was given as that of an "overpaid lackey". |
| English, of Whitstable, Kent, told the hearing at East London Employment Tribunal Service that on her first day at Viglen its chief executive, Bordan Tkachuk, looked at her with "contempt", and told her: "There is no job." | English, of Whitstable, Kent, told the hearing at East London Employment Tribunal Service that on her first day at Viglen its chief executive, Bordan Tkachuk, looked at her with "contempt", and told her: "There is no job." |
| English fought back tears as she said she was given no guidance about what she was meant to be doing, and was "ostracised" by her colleagues, who told her she had taken over another woman's job that had a salary of £35,000. | English fought back tears as she said she was given no guidance about what she was meant to be doing, and was "ostracised" by her colleagues, who told her she had taken over another woman's job that had a salary of £35,000. |
| Relegated to carrying out basic administrative tasks and with no real role, English said she felt her employment was a "sham". | Relegated to carrying out basic administrative tasks and with no real role, English said she felt her employment was a "sham". |
| She also said she did not feel like Sugar's "apprentice" as she only saw him five times during her 13-month employment. | She also said she did not feel like Sugar's "apprentice" as she only saw him five times during her 13-month employment. |
| "My reasons for going on to The Apprentice was to be an apprentice and to be mentored by Lord Sugar," she said. | "My reasons for going on to The Apprentice was to be an apprentice and to be mentored by Lord Sugar," she said. |
| "I didn't believe that they would pay me £100,000 a year to do anything less than £100,000 worth of work. | "I didn't believe that they would pay me £100,000 a year to do anything less than £100,000 worth of work. |
| "The career-enhancing opportunities that The Apprentice position had been sold as simply failed to materialise." | "The career-enhancing opportunities that The Apprentice position had been sold as simply failed to materialise." |
| English said that when she looked through the company's accounts she realised that although it had a £60m turnover, it only made an £800,000 a year profit. | English said that when she looked through the company's accounts she realised that although it had a £60m turnover, it only made an £800,000 a year profit. |
| She also noticed that projects worth £1.4m had not been invoiced. | She also noticed that projects worth £1.4m had not been invoiced. |
| She said that when she then emailed Tkachuk to ask if she could discuss these matters with him, he sent her a scathing reply, copying in everyone else in the office. | She said that when she then emailed Tkachuk to ask if she could discuss these matters with him, he sent her a scathing reply, copying in everyone else in the office. |
| English wept as she said he wrote to her: "I don't know what you're doing but this ain't how things work around here." | English wept as she said he wrote to her: "I don't know what you're doing but this ain't how things work around here." |
| Dressed smartly in black trousers and a cream jacket and top, she told the tribunal that she emailed Sugar to ask if she could discuss the matter with him, but when he came to the Viglen office for a meeting with her, Tkachuk was also present. | Dressed smartly in black trousers and a cream jacket and top, she told the tribunal that she emailed Sugar to ask if she could discuss the matter with him, but when he came to the Viglen office for a meeting with her, Tkachuk was also present. |
| English said she was upset when Sugar asked his colleague what he thought of her and Tkachuk replied: "Nice girl. Don't do a lot." | English said she was upset when Sugar asked his colleague what he thought of her and Tkachuk replied: "Nice girl. Don't do a lot." |
| "They had never said this to me," she said. | "They had never said this to me," she said. |
| English said the job "became increasingly untenable to continue". | English said the job "became increasingly untenable to continue". |
| "As time progressed I continued to be marginalised," she added. | "As time progressed I continued to be marginalised," she added. |
| She said she phoned Sugar in May 2011 and asked if she could meet him. | She said she phoned Sugar in May 2011 and asked if she could meet him. |
| "He made it abundantly clear that he didn't want to see me." | "He made it abundantly clear that he didn't want to see me." |
| She said she told Sugar: "I have tried so hard for so long and it's not working. I'm an overpaid lackey at Viglen. | She said she told Sugar: "I have tried so hard for so long and it's not working. I'm an overpaid lackey at Viglen. |
| "My pride would not allow me to continue doing it." | "My pride would not allow me to continue doing it." |
| English said Sugar offered her a role in another company – internet set-top box company YouView – which she started in June 2011. | English said Sugar offered her a role in another company – internet set-top box company YouView – which she started in June 2011. |
| "I decided to take up the position due to pressure from Lord Sugar, who gave cause for concern that there might be adverse publicity due to me resigning," she said. | "I decided to take up the position due to pressure from Lord Sugar, who gave cause for concern that there might be adverse publicity due to me resigning," she said. |
| But she said that on 28 September 2011, Sugar turned up at the office for a meeting but then said he wanted to see her. | But she said that on 28 September 2011, Sugar turned up at the office for a meeting but then said he wanted to see her. |
| It was then that he dropped the "bombshell" that he would not be renewing her contract. | It was then that he dropped the "bombshell" that he would not be renewing her contract. |
| She said Sugar told her that he had given her the second role because he did not want to damage the integrity of The Apprentice or the BBC, or to harm his own public image. | She said Sugar told her that he had given her the second role because he did not want to damage the integrity of The Apprentice or the BBC, or to harm his own public image. |
| English said he added: "But the fact is that I don't give a shit." | English said he added: "But the fact is that I don't give a shit." |
| English, who left school with no qualifications but rose up to become the only female manager on the trading floor of a Japanese investment bank, taking home £82,500 a year, said she had actually begun to enjoy working there and had hopes of securing a business development management position that was due to be coming up. | English, who left school with no qualifications but rose up to become the only female manager on the trading floor of a Japanese investment bank, taking home £82,500 a year, said she had actually begun to enjoy working there and had hopes of securing a business development management position that was due to be coming up. |
| She told the tribunal: "Until that moment I had believed that I was doing a good job. I thought that he would be happy that I wasn't hassling him. | She told the tribunal: "Until that moment I had believed that I was doing a good job. I thought that he would be happy that I wasn't hassling him. |
| "I just really could not believe what he was saying. I was in absolute shock. | "I just really could not believe what he was saying. I was in absolute shock. |
| "I'd given two years of my life to be told by somebody that 'I don't give a shit'. All the effort that I'd put in – to be told this was so unnecessary." | "I'd given two years of my life to be told by somebody that 'I don't give a shit'. All the effort that I'd put in – to be told this was so unnecessary." |
| During cross-examination from Seamus Sweeney, representing Sugar, English said she did not remember being told that the winner might not work directly with Sugar, adding that she understood they had in previous series. | During cross-examination from Seamus Sweeney, representing Sugar, English said she did not remember being told that the winner might not work directly with Sugar, adding that she understood they had in previous series. |
| Earlier, Sugar sniggered as the tribunal was played clips of the TV show, in which he is described as "Britain's most belligerent boss". | Earlier, Sugar sniggered as the tribunal was played clips of the TV show, in which he is described as "Britain's most belligerent boss". |
| The tribunal was adjourned to 10am on Wednesday, when English will continue to be cross-examined. | The tribunal was adjourned to 10am on Wednesday, when English will continue to be cross-examined. |