Compensation or fine? Just business or criminality?

A waitress has been awarded nearly £60,000 in compensation after taking her drunken boss to a employment tribunal for groping her breasts. This story just epitomises why so many women hold men in low esteem. Jane Price did the right thing. She took a disreptuable boss to a tribunal because he sacked her most unjustly.

Former manager Peter Tunney asked to inspect her breasts after she had a surgical enhancement, sexually harassed her and accused her of sleeping with restaurant owner Alex Psaras. Mr Psaras then texted her. The message read, "I think it is best you don't come back to work. I did not like the way you conducted the situation. It left a bad feeling and it won't be long before you do it again."

After the hearing the pathetic Psaras said, "I sent her the most expensive text ever sent. It could ruin my whole business." I hope it does, because his attitude hasn't changed, it seems. No word of sorry.

This is another total shambles. Cases like this shouldn't go to tribunals. They should go before special industrial courts. Mr. Psaras should have been given a conviction for his behaviour. There must be a distinction between criminal activity in the workplace and business incompetence or wrong judgement. It doesn't look good if a person gets "compensation" over and above the value of the work. My guess is that Jane Price got the equivalent of five years pay. It seems a little wrong that she is seen as able to enrich herself by way of compensation (I know she never meant to) whilst Mr.Psaras and Mr. Tunny get away without any punishment.

A fairer system, in these cases, would be to award damages to somebody like Ms Price and to fine &/or imprison the likes of the perpetrators.

Posted in: groping,sexual harassment