Woman wins £10,000 compensation in email harassment case

By Steve Malone

Posted on 22 Aug 2003 at 11:32

A woman who accidentally discovered nine colleagues had circulated obscene e-mails about her has received £10,000 compensation from her former employer Holden Meehan Independent Financial Advisers Ltd.

The woman, who worked as Sales Support Administrator and Personal Assistant found the e-mails on a colleague's e-mail folders while he was on leave. Although she complained to the company, she felt her complaint wasn't taken seriously, and eventually had to leave.

Julie Mellor, Chair of the Equal Opportunities Commission, who supported the woman's claim, commented, 'All employers should make their staff aware that sexual harassment can take many forms and can be deeply distressing for the person on the receiving end. The fact that comments are made by e-mail doesn't mean they should be treated any less seriously than if they were spoken or written down. This needs to be made clear in harassment and IT policies.'