A woman who sued her employer for age and sex discrimination after her male boss shouted she 'must be in her menopause' has won a ?20,000 (Rs 20 lakh) payout.?
Leigh Best, worked at pet food store Embark on Raw in Essex, England,?when she?became embroiled in a disagreement with shop owner David Fletcher.
Fletcher reportedly shouted the ¡®inappropriate and derogatory¡¯ remark ¡®at the top of his voice¡¯ saying?that the then 52-year-old "must be in her menopause".
He made the remark even after married Best had covered her ears and said: "I don't want to hear about it" when a customer mentioned having a "hot flush".??
As per Metro, an employment tribunal in east?London?was told: "A customer had been describing a 'hot flush'.?[Mrs Best] put her hands over her ears and said, ¡°I am having none of that, I don¡¯t even want to hear about it, I don¡¯t want to know.¡±?Mr Fletcher continued to pursue the topic even after the customer had departed and that was unwanted conduct which had the effect of violating [her] dignity and of creating a humiliating environment for her at work."
When Best complained about the comments to his wife and fellow owner, Andrea, she was told to ¡®stop moaning¡¯, and a month later she was fired.?
Best took her employers to the tribunal and will now receive the payout after winning claims of age and sex discrimination and unfair dismissal.??
The tribunal, headed by Employment Judge Bernice Elgot, found Fletcher had broached a "highly sensitive topic" and acted "tactlessly" when he asked her about the menopause.
"Mr Fletcher invaded the claimant¡¯s privacy, broached a highly sensitive topic for her and acted tactlessly in directly asking her, as an employee having the protected characteristic of sex as a woman, whether she was menopausal.?He asked that question even after¡ she had made it quite clear she did not wish to participate in any such discussion," the judge ruled.?
"We are satisfied that part of the reason for the company¡¯s decision to dismiss Mrs Best is that she made a significant allegation of sexism and ageism against Mr David Fletcher,"?
The tribunal ordered Embark on Raw to pay Leigh Best ?20,057.74 in compensation.
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