Sexual harassment and unjustified dismissal costs employer $20,000…

The Employment Relations Authority has upheld a personal grievance claim for sexual harassment and unjustified dismissal.  The employee was subjected to numerous attempts to get her to enter into an intimate relationship with the employer, which she rebuffed and told the employer to stop.

The employer then made her redundant with no consultation.  The first she knew was when she was told her position was no longer needed.  The ERA found this to be procedurally unjustified and also not justified by the financial position of the business.  In addition her role was filled by hiring another employee so the redundancy was obviously not genuine.

The ERA awarded almost $8,000 lost wages plus $12,000 compensation for the hurt and humiliation suffered from both the redundancy and the sexual harassment.

 

Alan Knowsley