Employment Tribunal hears 'hiring based on bra size' at marine supply firm

A sales manager who chased a female colleague around the office before putting her across his knee and spanking her also hired female workers based on their bra size rather than their abilities, an employment tribunal heard.

The allegations came to light at a Sheffield hearing against Chesterfield-based Cathelco Ltd following claims by former sales executive Angelina Ashby for constructive dismissal and sex and pay discrimination.

She attested that the “boys’ club” culture at the marine supplies company resulted in sales manager Pete Smith sitting female staff members on his knee and stroking their hair while encouraging others to grab his genitals.

He also looked at blow-up dolls and sex toys on the internet and chased a sales executive Laura Holland around the office before putting her over his knee and spanking her, it was claimed.

A second former employee Alina Taylor, speaking on Ashby’s behalf yesterday, likewise accused Smith and his deputy Kevin Ward of hiring female workers based on their bra size and discussing candidates’ curves in front of the sales team before offering them jobs.

Taylor, who left the firm after a 10-month relationship with Smith ended because he allegedly became “completely unreasonable”, said: “Pete and Kevin would often talk about the girl’s bra size as being criteria for employment. It was also very apparent that pretty girls would always get jobs at Cathelco.”

Moreover, men would routinely “watch pornography on their computers and gather round laughing”, she added.

Smith responded that it was in fact Taylor who had become “unmanageable” after he rebuffed her advances. Other managers accused her of being bad at listening, unhelpful to colleagues, stubborn and not a team player.

Cathelco has denied all of the allegations made against it. Ashby started work at the company in June 2003 as a sales executive in the marine division but joined the sales team in September 2006. She claimed that she was subjected to a “continuous course of mistreatment” until she lodged a grievance because she was unable to take the “bullying and hurtful” comments any more.

On submitting her grievance, however, the firm’s managing director Justin Salisbury told her she had a personality which “’------‘ people off” and “in 20 years of business, Cathelco had only ever had a problem with women”.

Ashby, who earned £13,500 per year, claimed that the situation was not investigated properly because she was female and resigned in October 2008 after ending up on anti-depressants. Ashby also claimed that she had been paid less and treated less favourably than male colleagues both in terms of salary and bonuses.

“There is something of a boys’ club atmosphere within Cathelco where females are deemed as being overemotional and sensitive if they have a complaint and who, during my time with Cathelco, had to clearly work twice as hard as the male members of staff to gain career or monetary progression,” she said.