Bosses hired women based on bra size

Bosses hired women based on bra size

Angelina Ashby was distressed by her colleagues' 'laddish' behaviour. Pic from www.thesun.co.uk

Male bosses decided which women workers to employ based on their BRA SIZE, a tribunal was told.

Men at the firm also used office computers to trawl websites selling blow-up dolls and other sex toys and one chased a woman round the office and spanked her on his knee, it was said.

Another manager taunted female staff by repeatedly pressing a "talking" key ring which said "damn you vile women".

Saleswoman Angelina Ashby, 41, became so distressed by colleagues' actions she quit her job at marine supplies company Cathelco, in Chesterfield, Derbys, and sued for sex discrimination and constructive dismissal.

She won her case and was awarded 26,000 compensation.

Employment Judge Robert Little said the fact that men viewed pornography in the office highlighted an "underlying laddish culture" at the firm.

Ashby started work for the company in June 2003 and quickly acquired the nickname Angel. She became a sales project manager in 2006 working on a Ministry of Defence aircraft carrier contract.

Despite the promotion the single mum-of-one, from Chesterfield, said she became ostracised and her treatment by sales manager Peter Smith and other male workers forced her to take anti-depressants.

It was said that one day she leant over Smith's desk to collect teacups and another sales executive said: "Never mind Pete, you have Angel's t*ts in your face."

On another occasion she found Smith and two others salesmen laughing at a piece of paper which she later retrieved from a bin.

She said: "It comprised a drawing of me which I found to be very offensive and hurtful."

An e-mail sent to the sales team read: "If you have a FAT FAT face then you do not need to read this."

She also claimed she saw Smi! th chasi ng a woman sales executive and "put her over his knee and spank her".

She found the constant jibes "demeaning" and said they were designed to belittle her in front of other staff.

When she finally submitted a grievance, the company's managing director Justin Salisbury allegedly told her she had a personality which "p***es" people off".

It was claimed he followed that with the comment: "In 20 years of business, Cathelco had only ever had a problem with women."

Ashby said at a later meeting Salisbury told her "they had been very understanding and that he could easily have told me to f*** off".

Ashby claimed her grievance was not properly investigated by the company because she was a woman and she resigned in October 2008.

She told the Sheffield tribunal: "There is something of a boys' club atmosphere within Cathelco where females are deemed as being emotional and sensitive if they have a complaint."

Another former employee, Alina Taylor, 37, said bosses would openly talk about prospective female recruits and said "pretty girls would always get jobs at Cathelco".

She added: "When having these conversations they would often talk about the girl's bra size as being criteria for employment."

Ashby added: "I firmly believe the depression was attributable to the treatment I suffered at Cathelco.

"The bullying has affected my health. I have been reduced to someone who is completely lacking in self-confidence and is depressed and no longer the vibrant person I was."

Cathelco denied all the allegations, claiming Ashby was "unmanageable" but the tribunal found in her favour.

Smith denied the claims about him chasing a woman round the office and spanking her on his knee. The tribunal rejected the allegations as they were not in her original claim.

She was awarded 26,061 made up of 15,000 for injury to feelings and 9,158 for loss of earnings as well as compensation for loss of statutory rights and interest.

After the case Ashby said: "I! 'm pleas ed it's all over. It was not about the money it is about justice.

"My father is footing my legal bill of 43,000 so he is still going to be out of pocket. I'm hoping to rebuild my life and get back into customer services." - www.thesun.co.uk