A United Kingdom (UK) employment tribunal has ordered a national health service (NHS) trust to pay £1,425 to a healthcare assistant after finding she was subjected to workplace harassment.
The case was brought by 61-year-old Ilda Esteves, who told
the tribunal that a colleague persistently addressed her as “auntie” despite
her objections.
She argued that the term, along with other comments, created
an uncomfortable and offensive work environment.
The colleague, Charles Oppong, a staff nurse, said the word
was intended as a sign of respect rooted in Ghanaian culture.
Oppong said “auntie” is commonly used to address older
women.
However, Esteves said she repeatedly asked him to stop and
instead use her name.
“A staff member called me auntie multiple times despite
telling him to call me by my name. He said you want to be young then!” she
wrote in a formal complaint submitted in September 2023.
She also alleged that Oppong commented on her appearance and
suggested she would be a “good match” for an older male colleague, which she
found inappropriate.
Esteves had been working at West London NHS Trust since
September 2022, including at St Bernard’s Hospital, where the incidents
occurred.
While Oppong admitted using the term once, the tribunal did
not accept his account.
Employment judge George Alliott described his evidence as
“evasive and vague”, noting inconsistencies in his responses.
The judge concluded that the term “auntie” was used on
multiple occasions, adding that the additional remarks about pairing her with
an older colleague were likely intended as humour but were inappropriate.
Alliott acknowledged the cultural context of the term but
ruled that its continued use after objections made it offensive.
“We find that the circumstances of the comments being made
in the office and in the corridor and at handover were such that it had the
effect of creating an offensive environment,” the judge ruled.
“We find that it was reasonable for the comments to have
that effect. Consequently, her claim of harassment on this ground succeeds.”
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