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Barnet Council has prosecuted a former employee for ‘polygamous working’ - the practice of holding more than one full-time job simultaneously, after an investigation revealed she was working full-time for two London councils.
Sally Bodom, who was employed as a Business Support Officer in Barnet Council’s Family Services department, was flagged by a National Fraud Initiative* exercise in July 2024. Investigators discovered that Bodom was also employed full-time by Croydon Council in its Housing department.
Croydon Council verified her employment dating back to July 2016, while Barnet’s records showed she initially worked four days per week, increasing to full-time hours in March 2024. Both her council contracts prohibited undeclared additional employment that could interfere with her duties.
Bodom appeared at Willesden Magistrates Court on 30 October, where she pleaded guilty to one count of Fraud by false representations, and one count of Fraud by failing to disclose.
On the 16 December the court sentenced her to 12 months in prison, suspended for a period of 2 years. They also ordered her to perform unpaid work, complete rehabilitation activity requirements and to pay compensation to Barnet Council in the sum of £10,000.
Cllr Barry Rawlings, Barnet Council Leader, said: “The council has zero tolerance for dishonesty and fraudulent behaviour, and we’re glad we were able to uncover Bodom’s deceitful actions and bring her to justice.
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“We hope this prosecution will really highlight the seriousness of this modern-day fraud of polygamous working and will be a strong deterrent to anyone who thinks they can get away with it.”
Both councils had raised performance concerns including Bodom’s lack of availability, slow report writing, and minimal physical presence in the workplace.
During a disciplinary meeting at Croydon, Bodom admitted to dual employment.
She was paid in excess of £60,000 in salary throughout her time at Barnet Council, whilst engaging in polygamous working practices.
Josh Simons, Parliamentary Secretary at the Cabinet Office with responsibility for the Public Sector Fraud Authority, said: “This case sends a strong message to fraudsters - we have the tools to find you and hold you to account.
“My team in the Public Sector Fraud Authority is working with partners across government, through our cutting-edge National Fraud Initiative, to ensure there are no hiding places for those who seek to defraud hard-working taxpayers.”
Residents are encouraged to report any suspected fraudulent activities to the council's Corporate Anti-Fraud Team: https://www.barnet.gov.uk/your-council/fraud-investigation
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NOTES TO EDITORS: The NFI (National Fraud Initiative) Fraud Hub is a biennial exercise that compares electronic data from various public and private sector organizations to prevent and detect fraud and errors.
The "Fraud Hub" refers to the collaborative platform and services that enable participants to screen their collective data for discrepancies, such as matching payroll records with benefit claims or identifying illegal subletting in social housing. This process helps identify potential fraud, overpayments, and other errors by cross-referencing information from different sources.