A former Tesco worker has won a £45,000 settlement in a sexual harassment case against the supermarket.
Lara Storey, who worked as a part-time personal shopper at the retail giant, claimed she was subjected to unwanted physical touching by a male colleague.
Despite her grievance being upheld, the accused employee was allowed to remain in his position.
Storey, supported by the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland, then lodged a complaint with the Office of the Industrial Tribunal.
Storey claimed she was subjected to unwanted physical touching by a male colleague
NI EQUALITY COMMISSION
She eventually resigned from her job, citing victimisation by senior staff following her initial complaint. The case was settled without admission of liability from Tesco.
Storey said the harassment she experienced had included physical touching and “inappropriate messages” from her colleague.
After raising a grievance, which was upheld, she was assured that the perpetrator would be retrained or relocated – but this didn’t happen.
“He was left to work alongside me over those months – a year, a year and a bit,” Storey said.
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The case was settled without admission of liability from Tesco
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She then felt compelled to change her own work patterns to avoid the colleague, saying: “I took my own initiative to remove myself from that environment.”
“I wish none of this had ever happened. I was a student working my way through university – I didn’t ask for any of this,” she added.
After her complaint, Storey said she felt victimised by senior staff. She also reported being ignored and criticised for minor work issues – which led to her eventual resignation from Tesco.
Geraldine McGahey, Chief Commissioner at the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland, said: “Everyone has the right to be treated with dignity and respect at work.
‘Everyone has the right to be treated with dignity and respect at work,’ Geraldine McGahey said
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“Employers must ensure that, where their employees fail to live up to that standard, action is taken to deal with it effectively.”
A Tesco spokesman responded: “We are committed to ensuring that everyone feels welcome at Tesco and there is no place for harassment of any kind in our business.
“We apologise for the way the concerns of this colleague were handled in this store.”
Tesco has agreed to liaise with the Equality Commission to review its policies, practices, and procedures on harassment.
Storey hopes her case will inspire others, saying: “I want other women to know that they don’t have to accept this type of behaviour or treatment, and they should expect to be treated fairly by their employer.”
McGahey has urged employers to have effective policies and procedures in place to manage such situations.
She said: “Our sex discrimination laws are almost 50 years old, and unfortunately, they are needed as much today as they did when they were first introduced.”