Charity deals with former employee who allegedly told her racism allegations were a “personal agenda”

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An employee of an asylum charity agreed to an undisclosed out-of-court settlement after saying she was told her allegations of racism at the charity were part of a “Personal agenda”.

Ishah Jawaid joined Assist Sheffield as Head of Customer Support in February 2019.

The association supports people whose asylum request was unsuccessful and who, as a result, found themselves in poverty.

Jawaid said she started raising allegations of racism a few months after she started working for the charity based on things she had witnessed, heard and been subjected to.

“The issues were ongoing and happened over a period of time,” she said.

She eventually left in October 2020 and then filed a formal complaint which resulted in legal action which was settled out of court.

Jawaid did not say how much the settlement figure was worth, but in a series of messages on Twitter, she explained why she felt it necessary to start the litigation process.

She said her allegations were “completely denied by some administrators” and that no action was taken until the labor court process began with the support of her union, United Voices of the World .

Jawaid said the lack of action caused him “significant stress” and his physical and mental health suffered.

“When I raised the issue of racism within the charity, I was told that I was bringing my personal agenda to the organization,” she said.

“It’s essential that we have honest conversations about some of the toxic aspects of the voluntary sector.

“We don’t need any virtue signage or performative alliance, or even reform from the leaders of the voluntary sector in Sheffield.

“We need them to take drastic action. There is so much to take apart and rebuild.

Jawaid said senior leaders cannot be left alone to make this change and encouraged all workers to join a union to help hold organizations to account, and expressed support and solidarity with other prosecutors. a similar legal action.

Graham Millar, executive director of the charity, said: “Assist is an organization committed to deepening anti-racism practices.

“We are proud of our history of challenging a hostile political environment for asylum seekers, but we also recognize that as an organization working primarily with people of color, we have an important responsibility to address the structural racism, internally and externally.

“Systematic and structural racism is endemic in our society and it has been essential for Assist to recognize the ways in which our organization has made it stronger.”

“Our anti-racism statement, available on our website, describes the steps we have taken to continually address issues of racism internally and externally.”

Millar said those actions described a commitment to continuous learning and lasting change, and as a new rendezvous at the charity, this work would be his priority going forward.

A UVW spokesperson said the union “will always support our members like Ishah in speaking out against racism in the third sector.”

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