Former Qulliq employee says she was belittled by management

A former employee of the Qulliq Energy Corporation in Iqaluit says she felt belittled and insulted by certain staff at the corporation.

Sarah Kucera, 35, is suing the corporation for mismanagement, breach of contract and constructive dismissal. Her civil trial started Monday at the Nunavut Court of Justice.

For 14 months, Sarah Kucera was the executive assistant to president and chief executive officer Peter Mackey. Within the first week of her employment with the Qulliq Energy Corporation in 2009, Kucera says she was told by the director of human resources, Catherine Cronin, not to communicate with certain employees. Kucera said Cronin told her some employees could not be trusted.

Kucera says she had multiple confrontations and issues with Cronin.

She alleges she was excluded from human resource activities, and says personal emails with insults about her were circulated within the department.

Kucera says the situation caused her stress and anxiety. She says she madeseveral attempts to solve the issues with Mackey and the Human Resources department, but mediation attempts failed.

In August 2010, Kucera says she got a letter of terminationciting "her insubordinate behaviour and lack of loyalty". She says she was shocked because she had excelled in her position and had taken on the role of corporate secretary.

Kucera will be cross examined by the corporation's lawyer starting Tuesday morning.