7. May 2026
When One Toxic Employee Holds a Charity Hostage, and How to Legally End It
Because silence doesn’t protect your culture, it poisons it
Sometimes, charities have that one person everyone tiptoes around.
They talk over others, block change, and somehow make every meeting about themselves.
You avoid the confrontation because they are "too experienced to lose," but soon, your whole charity is walking on eggshells.
I once provided HR support for a charity in this exact position. A head-office employee was running the culture through fear and manipulation. They weren't breaking explicit rules, but they were wearing down everyone who tried to challenge them. Good people were burning out, and the board was losing confidence.
The worst part? Everyone knew it, but no one acted.
The Turning Point: Why "Doing Nothing" is a Governance Risk
By the time I was brought in, 80% of the volunteer base had left in a single year. The CEO felt powerless, and the trustees were split, half wanted to act, while the other half were terrified of legal risks.
This is a common hurdle in charity HR: fearing the "reserves-draining tribunal headline" more than the internal damage being done to the mission. We started by stripping away the emotion and focusing on three pillars: evidence, fairness, and the law.
Within weeks, the board had a clear, lawful route forward. The employee was exited fairly, and the change was instant. One toxic individual had been holding an entire mission hostage.
Why Addressing Toxicity Makes You a Great Leader
According to the Chartered Management Institute (2023), one toxic employee can make over half of their colleagues consider leaving. In a non-profit environment, the stakes are higher. Your best people stay for purpose, not just a pay check. When that purpose is compromised, they leave quietly and never come back.
If you are a Trustee or CEO, the question isn’t whether you can afford to deal with toxicity. It’s whether you can afford not to. Professional HR support for charities helps you move from endorsing conflict to resolving it.
The 5 Lawful Ways to Dismiss an Employee
Under the Employment Rights Act 2025, there are five fair reasons for dismissal. These apply to charity HR just as they do in the corporate world. The key is that process matters as much as the reason.
1. Conduct
This involves breaches of trust, such as bullying or insubordination. You don’t need to wait for a "big" event; repeated refusal to follow reasonable management instructions counts as misconduct if documented properly.
2. Capability or Performance
If someone cannot meet the required standard despite support, you may have grounds for dismissal. The CIPD (2023) notes it is fair to end employment if a reasonable support plan has failed and expectations were transparent.
3. Redundancy
This is about the role, not the person. In the charity sector, this often arises from funding changes. It must involve objective selection and genuine consultation.
4. Statutory Illegality
You cannot employ someone if doing so breaks the law (e.g., an expired right-to-work visa or a failed safeguarding clearance).
5. Some Other Substantial Reason (SOSR)
This is the "catch-all" for serious issues like an irreparable breakdown in working relationships or a conflict of interest. ACAS confirms these still require a fair process, including the right of appeal.
Why Trustees Must Prioritise Charity HR
Trustees often view HR as "operational," but when a person’s behaviour threatens the charity’s effectiveness, it becomes a governance issue. The Charity Commission expects trustees to manage people risk just as they manage financial risk.
Failing to act doesn’t just damage morale; it exposes the organisation legally. Seeking early HR support for charities ensures you act fairly, document everything, and protect your reputation.
The Verdant Verdict
Toxic behaviour doesn’t go away; it grows. At Verdant Purpose HR, I help charities turn the fear of conflict into confident, lawful action. Protecting your mission sometimes means protecting it from the wrong people.
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