Almost 500 male bus drivers at a London depot were sent an email by a female driver warning them to stop sexually harassing her. She said she suffered upsetting and violating remarks every day for more than two years.
The situation was revealed at Watford Employment Tribunal as the woman – who was granted anonymity so referred to as Ms G – made legal claims against London General Transport Services, trading as Go-Ahead London, and its drivers for sex discrimination and constructive unfair dismissal.
Tribunal Judge Lewis has ruled in favour of Ms G.
The incidents were alleged to have taken place at the firm’s Northumberland Park bus depot in London.
The Tribunal was told that the respondents employed 500 drivers – 90% men – at that depot where Ms G had been employed since 2013 as a bus driver, and that she became so upset by sexual verbal remarks that she sent an email to nearly 500 male drivers at the depot, complaining about their alleged behaviour.
The email was said to have been “robust and well written” and contained some of the offensive remarks allegedly made against her.
The defendants told the Tribunal that some drivers regarded the email as offensive and that management told her the email had been unacceptable.
She was suspended from using company emails and the firm issued a notice to all employees reminding them about “dignity at work”.
Ms G eventually admitted she should not have sent the email to everyone and that she had done so when in a “low state and dark place”.
She later resigned – prompting her legal claim for constructive unfair dismissal.
The judge’s report said: “We find that each remark constituted conduct of a sexual nature, which had the purpose, or effect, of violating the claimant’s dignity or creating an environment for her which was intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive.”
A remedy hearing is to be held at Watford Employment Tribunal in March if the two parties fail to reach a settlement in the meantime.
