Research boss sues cancer charity

Sandi Hayes, former director of research at Cancer Council Queensland, has filed a Federal Circuit Court lawsuit alleging she was wrongfully dismissed by the charity and CEO Matt Gardiner.

Bullying and dysfunction alleged

Hayes alleges the CEO bullied her and their workplace relationship became so dysfunctional she was instructed not to contact him directly, instead communicating through the human resources chief.

Complaints about CEO's conduct

Hayes raised complaints against Gardiner to board members and via Microsoft Teams, including allegations about his communication style and what she described as integrity and trust issues.

Charity denies wrongdoing

Cancer Council Queensland and Gardiner are defending the lawsuit. An internal investigation found no wrongdoing by the CEO, and the defence claims Hayes was hostile and disrespectful in meetings.

Dismissal over health concerns

The defence filings state Hayes was fired in February because she could not work with Gardiner without giving rise to a health and safety risk to both executives' psychosocial safety.

Gardiner's statement on progress

Gardiner declined an interview but told the ABC: Cancer Council Queensland is becoming increasingly effective, increasingly influential and increasingly capable of creating a future where fewer Queenslanders experience cancer.

“Cancer Council Queensland is becoming increasingly effective, increasingly influential and increasingly capable of creating a future where fewer Queenslanders experience cancer.”

Gardiner blames former staff

Gardiner, who started in February last year, said a small group of former employees have pursued a campaign of damaging rumours, misinformation and unsupported allegations against the charity.

“For more than a year, a small group of former employees have pursued a campaign of damaging rumours, misinformation and unsupported allegations.”

Staff turnover remains high

Cancer Council Queensland reported staff turnover of forty-two percent in the two thousand twenty-five financial year, improving to thirty-one percent last financial year with one hundred eighty-five employees. This exceeds typical non-profit rates of nineteen to twenty-one percent.

Service levels claimed to rise

The charity told the ABC it provided twenty-six thousand five hundred seventy-five bed nights at accommodation centres last year, up eight point six percent, and financial counselling for two hundred eighty-seven people, up twenty-three percent.

Staff satisfaction concerns emerge

An internal review in February this year indicated staff satisfaction levels had dropped. An employee also alleged some psychological counselling waiting periods were up to eight weeks, which the organisation did not dispute.

Financial turnaround claimed

Cancer Council Queensland lost four point one million dollars in financial year two thousand twenty-five but reported a profit of three point two four million dollars last financial year, claiming its strongest operating result in five years.