Áslaug Thelma Einarsdóttir says she spoke up about former ON Power CEO Bjarni Már Júlíusson’s misogynistic behaviour over a period of 18 months, and was eventually fired for doing so. The former Managing Director of Consumer Markets at the company condemns ON Power and the City of Reykjavík for their handling of the case and says she will take legal action. RÚV reported first.
ON Power is a subsidiary of Reykjavík Energy, whose majority owner is the City of Reykjavík. Former ON Power CEO Bjarni Már Júlíusson was fired due to misogynistic conduct last week. Áslaug condemns the action as too little, too late.
“In a number of cases for over 18 months I commented on the conduct of this director to the Human Resources Director of Reykjavík Energy,” Áslaug stated in a Facebook post today. “This had to do with his conduct in public and at meetings with clients and in private meetings he called my female colleagues inside and outside ON names that no one should use. He accused my subordinate of not being horny or organised enough when he tried openly in front of witnesses to “cure” her of the illness of being single. Then at one meeting he accused me in front of the employee manager of flirting my way to a higher salary in talks with the previous managing director. Ergo: I wasn’t worth my salary and or plainly that I was a prostitute. I could go on forever.”
Bjarni Bjarnason, CEO of Reykjavík Energy, stated last week that Bjarni Már was fired because of a single inappropriate email. Áslaug’s asserts however that the Reykjavík Energy CEO had known about multiple instances of inappropriate behaviour for some time.
“Today at 2.00pm I will meet a lawyer as I do not see that ON Power, Reykjavík Energy, or the City of Reykjavik is showing any effort to discuss with me further, and consequently to correct the damage I have suffered – to be fired for doing the right thing. Fired for trying to protect myself and my female colleagues,” stated Áslaug in her post. “I will in consultation with him, demand my rights in full.”
