Peter Bailey: Wyndham private hospital fined over ‘bully CEO’

The victim of a Wyndham private hospital CEO bully says she is “immensely troubled” he gets to keep his job after he humiliated her over two years.

The victim of a private hospital CEO bully says she is “immensely troubled” he gets to keep his top job after his clinic was fined $60,000 for humiliating and degrading her for almost two years.

Wyndham Clinic, which operates the Wyndham Clinic private hospital, was fined on Thursday in the Melbourne Magistrate’s Court after pleading guilty to a charge of failing to provide a safe working environment.

The court heard three months after Peter Bailey was appointed as the company’s chief executive officer in June 2014 he began a campaign of “repeated negative behaviour” against then-front office manager Kim Boyles.

On one occasion, he called Ms Boyles into his office in front of two other staff to scream: “don’t f****** lie to me, you are deceitful and a d*******”.

When she started crying, he asked her when she last saw her psychologist, she couldn’t remember so he told her the date.

She asked him how he knew that, with Mr Bayley responding: “I’m the CEO I can do what I like”.

Outside of court, Ms Boyles’ lawyer, Tim Palmos said she finally felt “vindicated” but had not received “even an acknowledgment — let alone an apology — from Mr Bailey or Wyndham Clinic”.

Ms Boyles plans to pursue a civil claim for damages against Wyndham Clinic and hopes her courage in fighting back will encourage others to come forward.

Ms Boyles told the court she used to love her job but, after the bullying started, she would “dread going to work every day”.

“I was frightened and I didn‘t know what I was going to get, Jekyll or Hyde,” she said.

“If I was needed I was treated like a best friend, if I wasn‘t I was belittled and threatened in front of other people.

“I’m not the same person I was after starting at Wyndham Clinic.”

Wyndham Clinic, which operates the Wyndham Clinic private hospital, pleaded guilty on Monday to failing to provide a safe work environment.

Representing the hospital, lawyer Samuel Stafford said the company “sincerely regrets” what happened to Ms Boyle before she resigned in March 2016.

He said the hospital first heard about the allegations when WorkSafe began an investigation in January 2018.

“When WorkSafe brought this to the company’s attention it acted swiftly and beyond what was expected,” he said.

He said the company introduced workplace bullying policies, hired an external human resources provider and subjected Mr Bailey to mandatory workplace training alongside all other staff.

WorkSafe prosecutor Jason Gullaci said the company had seriously failed in its duty to have policies and procedures in place which would prevent or respond to workplace bullying.

“This is an institution that at its core deals with mental health,” he said.

“At the same time they have a person in a significant position of authority and with disproportionate power being engaged in a sustained course of bullying for 22 months. It’s a significant departure of duty.”

Wyndham Clinics was also ordered to reimburse WorkSafe $19,000 in legal fees by magistrate Tara Hartnett who said there was no doubt Ms Boyles was subjected to “appalling behaviour by her supervisor”.

“Ms Boyles showed great courage in making her victim impact statement and presenting it to the court,” she said.

“There is no doubt the offence has had a significant impact on her ... the irony of this conviction is that this is a business that predominantly deals with mental health in the community,” she said.

“I accept this represents a significant departure from the duties of care.”

[e-mail]