Lidl supermarket worker wins £50,000 after her gay boss said he would like to sleep with her and her boyfriend and told her ‘I’d bet you would look good in this’ as he held up pair of knickers
An 18-year-old Lidl supermarket worker has won more than £50,000 after suing the retail giant for sexual harassment – after her gay boss said he’d like to sleep with her and her boyfriend.
Maddie Hunter revealed that her manager, Michael Harding, made a slew of inappropriate remarks which were widely tolerated,.
Miss Hunter recalled an example where she was sorting through a pair of knickers, with Mr Harding telling her: ‘I’d bet you would look good in this’.
When told ‘You can’t say that’, Mr Harding replied: ‘You better get used to it,’ an employment tribunal heard.
A-Level student Miss Hunter worked in a branch of the budget supermarket where sexual comments were tolerated, the hearing was told, and where male staff ranked female colleagues according to their attractiveness.
But after complaining about her treatment she was told by the store manager to ‘take it as a compliment’.
After eventually quitting, Miss Hunter sued the retail giant for sexual harassment and constructive dismissal, winning £50,884.62 in compensation.
The tribunal in Reading was told that the teenager began working as a customer assistant at Lidl in Wallingford, Oxfordshire, in February 2019, shortly after her 18th birthday.
An 18-year-old Lidl supermarket worker has won more than £50,000 after suing the retail giant for sexual harassment – after her gay boss said he’d like to sleep with her and her boyfriend
Within a month of working there, a male checkout worker moved his till next to her, asked her for her number and made comments and sexual advances through the day, the hearing was told.
Miss Hunter then asked to move tills. Her store manager however, denied the request, and told her to ‘take it as a compliment’, the tribunal heard.
Mr Harding became Deputy Store Manager in February 2020 and Miss Hunter alleged that – despite her asking him to stop – he would pester her on a daily basis, touching her on her bottom, thighs and waist and often attempting to hug her.
‘(He) regularly talked about sex,’ the tribunal heard.
‘He talked about who he would rather sleep with, what they could do and made comments such as “bet they’re good at giving head”.’
‘(He) admits that he said that he found (Miss Hunter’s boyfriend) attractive. (She) said he told her he wanted to sleep with her and her boyfriend.
‘(Miss Hunter) said that when she arrived at the store with wet hair (he) asked “How was your shower?”, “Do you shower alone?”, and “What did you do in the shower?”‘
Mr Harding explained in his defense that as a gay man ‘he is not interested in women’.
She also described an incident where she and a colleague were sorting through swimming costumes and underwear.
‘He was passing through the warehouse, and he picked up some knickers and asked (Miss Hunter) and the person who she was with “do you think I look good in these?”‘ the tribunal heard.
‘(Miss Hunter) did not respond and he then said “I bet you would look good in this” to which she did not respond. Someone said “You can’t say that”.
‘(She) says that (Mr Harding) then said “You better get used to it”.’
Miss Hunter – who was promoted in August 2020 – told the tribunal she complained to her store manager about Mr Harding’s conduct but that she was ignored.
Maddie Hunter revealed that her manager, Michael Harding, made a slew of inappropriate remarks which were widely tolerated, with her being told: ‘take it as a compliment’
‘He laughed and said he was not surprised,’ the hearing was told.
After deciding she’d had enough, Miss Hunter asked on two occasions – in October and December – to be transferred to a store with a female manager. She was told there wasn’t one nearby.
Miss Hunter also complained of being underpaid and being asked to work excessive hours, the tribunal heard.
In June 2021 she resigned after being told by a manager she needed to have a ‘performance discussion’ for being late.
The tribunal – chaired by Employment Judge Sarah Matthews – upheld her claims of sexual harassment and constructive unfair dismissal.
The panel concluded that Mr Harding did not intend to cause offence through his comments because he didn’t realise that what he was saying was offensive.
‘This reflects the culture in the store which was allowed to go unchecked,’ it said.
‘The Tribunal has found that there was an acceptance of comments with sexual overtones.
‘(Mr Harding) has been identified as the main perpetrator but that does not excuse the failure to act by more senior management. We find that (he) was reflecting the culture within the store.
‘He said in evidence he wanted to lighten the atmosphere and that workplace banter was not uncommon; they were like a big family.
‘We accept (Miss Hunter’s) explanation that “It was a man’s world in that company”.
‘We find that the line managers did not consider that it was their role to police harassment. They paid no attention to her complaints and closed their eyes and ears to the culture of harassment that existed.’
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