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Victoria Woodall, a senior employee at Google UK, has brought a claim to an employment tribunal alleging she was made redundant in retaliation for reporting inappropriate conduct by a manager. Woodall reported that the manager shared explicit stories about his swinger lifestyle with clients and showed a nude photo of his wife, prompting an internal investigation that ultimately led to his dismissal. According to documents presented in court, Google’s inquiry determined that the manager had engaged in sexual harassment by inappropriately touching two female colleagues without their consent.
Woodall contends that following her whistleblowing, she endured a persistent campaign of retaliation orchestrated by the company, including detrimental changes to her role and professional standing. She alleges that her own manager subjected her to these pressures, particularly because her complaint implicated his close allies, who were subsequently disciplined for observing and not challenging the manager’s behaviour. Woodall also raised concerns about a workplace “boys’ club” culture, citing that Google had been hosting a men-only “chairman’s lunch” up until December 2022—a claim the company refuted by stating the event was discontinued as it conflicted with company policy. A decision from the London Central Employment Tribunal is awaited in the coming weeks.
Details emerging from Woodall’s complaint reveal that in August 2022, a female client informed her that during a business lunch, the accused manager had boasted about sexual encounters with multiple black women and claimed he and his wife were swingers. The client described how the manager narrated a holiday encounter with two women at the beach, all happening in the presence of his line manager, who reportedly did nothing to intervene. Woodall reported these concerns to Matt Bush, then managing director of the agency team, which prompted Google’s internal investigation. During this inquiry, Woodall also raised a second complaint from another client alleging that the same manager had shown her an explicit photo of his wife.
The company’s investigation, interviewing 12 individuals, uncovered further incidents amounting to sexual harassment, including the manager touching the leg and back of two female employees without their consent and making inappropriate remarks about his open marriage and encounters with colleagues. While the manager denied these allegations, he was ultimately dismissed for gross misconduct. Two senior colleagues, including the line manager who failed to act, received recommendations for coaching and were later made redundant. Woodall further claims that she faced career setbacks after reporting these issues, including being forced to take over a failing client account and being demoted on an internal project. Her former boss denied retaliatory intent, describing account moves as normal business practice and insisting he supported her career growth.
In 2023, Google began a redundancy process that resulted in the departure of several senior staff implicated in the case. Woodall escalated her concerns about the culture and retaliation to senior leadership, meeting with Debbie Weinstein, then vice president of Google UK and Ireland. Court documents reveal Weinstein was taken aback by Woodall’s allegations. However, messages submitted during the tribunal proceedings suggest that later that year, Weinstein discussed efforts to use the reorganisation as an opportunity to “exit people,” potentially including Woodall. In March 2024, Woodall was made redundant alongside another manager involved in the misconduct inquiry. She remains with Google on long-term sickness leave due to work-related stress. Google denies the redundancy was linked to whistleblowing, describing it as part of a wider restructuring. The company accepts Woodall’s report constituted whistleblowing but disputes any retaliatory actions, asserting that all subsequent measures were standard business decisions
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