Sacked Woodside engineer seeks $42m
A former senior engineer at resources giant Woodside is suing the company for more than $42 million, claiming he was bullied and intimidated by colleagues and then unfairly sacked from his high-flying position.
Until March last year, Hassan Zaghloul was Woodside's principal structural engineer, responsible for the safety and integrity of major offshore assets.
But after being sacked, Dr Zaghloul launched an extraordinary legal broadside at the company, claiming he was subjected to a two-year campaign of harassment, intimidation and bullying before his termination.
The University of WA graduate claims the campaign included verbal abuse, intimidation and threats from superiors, opinions and work being discredited and his career being ruined.
He says he was left unfit for work from 2011 because of "bullying and mobbing".
More than 40 separate allegations are made against 10 Woodside employees. Dr Zaghloul claims he now has anxiety so severe he is unable to be in the same room with Woodside representatives during court hearings.
And this mental impairment has been so debilitating, according to Dr Zaghloul, the structural engineer is claiming more than $42 million in damages.
Dr Zaghloul was in hospital for weeks last year, and said his symptoms include excessive anxiety, which led to significant memory loss.
In court documents, Woodside indicates it intends to fight the claims, showing it will call each of the 10 employees accused of the bullying to give evidence at any trial, as well as eight other employees to counter the claims.
It also reveals the company investigated Dr Zaghloul's bullying claims, through a private investigation firm.
A Woodside spokesperson said they could not publicly comment about an ongoing court case.
Justice Gilmour ruled a hearing will be listed some time after July 1.
