Co-op driver wins payout over sexual harassment claim
SingTao · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
A UK employment tribunal in Exeter, Devon, awarded Charlotte Brooks £19,042 after ruling that Co-op failed in its handling of sexual harassment and sex discrimination she suffered at work . The case arose from comments made during a new-starter training session in Bristol in July 2022, when colleague Kerry Dawson allegedly claimed Brooks would provide sexual services to get what she wanted . Brooks said she was devastated by the allegation, and the dispute later escalated with further abusive conduct over roughly two years . The tribunal found the company had downplayed the seriousness of the harassment and left Brooks distressed when the colleague later returned to work without protective arrangements .
Key Points
- Brooks, a female container lorry driver, worked for Co-op when the dispute began at a new employee training course in Bristol in July 2022 .
- During that session, Dawson allegedly told an instructor that Brooks would offer sexual services in order to achieve her aims .
- In October 2024, Dawson sent Brooks a voice message saying that because she had “fucking breasts”, she thought she could expose them and get others to serve her .
- Co-op’s head office investigation found Dawson had acted improperly between June 2022 and October 2024 and dismissed her from her job .
- Dawson later won an appeal on procedural grounds and returned to work, after which Brooks sued Co-op for sexual harassment and sex discrimination .
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong readers, the case is a reminder that employers can face liability not only for harassment itself but also for weak complaint handling and inadequate workplace safeguards . It also underlines that same-sex harassment allegations must be treated with the same seriousness as complaints involving men and women, according to the tribunal judge’s reasoning .