Teen Awarded £6,000 Over Sexual Harassment Claim

A teenager has been awarded £6,000 after settling a sexual harassment case against her former employer.

Jodie Jones, a student who had been employed by Applegreen, alleged that a male co-worker had made offensive and sexually explicit comments to her while she was working. She further claimed that she reported the incidents to her manager immediately and had hoped that they would be dealt with appropriately.

The case, which was assisted by the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland, was settled without admission of liability.

She said: "I started working in Applegreen when I was 17; I just wanted to earn some money whilst I was studying. I was really pleased to get the job and delighted that it worked around my college timetable. Things were going well until a male colleague made sexual comments to me that made me feel really uncomfortable and embarrassed. Later during the same shift he made more comments and I was humiliated by what he said. I reported both the incidents to my manager and she replied all she could do was apologise.

"I discovered my complaints hadn't been passed on to the store director and I told my parents what had happened. They were extremely concerned and they accompanied me to the shop the following day. My family and I felt that my manager was not dealing appropriately with the serious issues I had raised. I felt I had no option but to quit my job."

Anne McKernan, Director of Legal, Equality Commission said: "Only a few months ago we publicised a number of other cases regarding young women who alleged sexual harassment in the workplace in Northern Ireland. It is most disappointing that here we have another very similar experience of a young woman who is simply trying to earn some money to help pay her way through college, who felt harassed within the workplace and that her employer appeared unprepared to deal with the harassment when the situation arose.

"It is shocking that young women continue to feel they are being sexually harassed in the workplace in 2016. This is not acceptable behaviour and must be eradicated."



Pic: Equality Commission Northern Ireland

(CD)