The Tanglin Club, a prestigious private members' venue in Singapore founded in 1865, is currently facing serious allegations regarding its workplace environment. The scrutiny began after claims of staff abuse emerged, leading to the resignation of David Brightling, the club's general manager, on September 27, 2023. Brightling stated that the primary reason for his departure was the club's "toxic work environment," as revealed in internal documents.
The situation escalated on June 28, 2023, when Brightling allegedly endured verbal abuse from a member of the club's general committee. Following his resignation, the member involved was expelled from the committee after a vote initiated by the club's president, Chong Zhi Cheng, on October 16, 2023, which deemed that the member's conduct violated club regulations that prohibit reprimanding or abusing staff.
An independent review committee was established to investigate the incident and the removal of the committee member. The findings, released in a report dated May 23, 2024, confirmed that Brightling had indeed been subjected to verbal abuse, as he recounted in his communications. The report described the language used by the member during a contentious meeting and noted an incident where the member displayed aggressive behavior over the phone.
Brightling testified that he had witnessed numerous instances of harassment throughout his nearly three-year tenure at the club, but described the incident as the most severe he had ever experienced. Further inquiries revealed a pervasive fear among staff regarding potential backlash from members, which discouraged them from filing formal complaints, ultimately contributing to low morale and high turnover rates.
To address these issues, the review committee recommended implementing an anti-harassment policy along with a reporting mechanism for staff to report abuse discreetly. They also suggested establishing clear protocols for handling disciplinary matters concerning members in a way that ensures transparency and fairness to all parties involved.
Additionally, the review highlighted the need for better representation on the general committee and urged efforts to diversify its composition, as it primarily included older male members. The report also pointed out that internal factions within the committee were causing rifts that hindered effective governance, proposing mediation and enhanced collaboration as potential solutions.
Lastly, the committee discussed the possibility of adopting a code of conduct to improve relationship dynamics within the club. As the situation unfolds, inquiries have been made to Tanglin Club regarding the implementation of these recommendations, as issues among members have historically attracted attention and controversy.
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