Irish Bookkeeper Awarded £23,000 After Racial Harassment at Perform
A bookkeeper from Ireland has been awarded over £23,000 in damages after successfully suing her employer for racial harassment. Bernadette Hayes won the case after an employment tribunal found she was subjected to a hostile work environment at West Leeds Civils, an engineering company in Holbeck, Leeds.
The Case Against West Leeds Civils
Bernadette Hayes experienced harassment between December 2023 and June 2024. Director Mick Atkins repeatedly shouted the word “potato” at Hayes “in a strong Irish accent,” and used other offensive language linked to her heritage. The tribunal heard Atkins also used terms like “paddy”, “stupid paddy” and “pikey” Sky News.
“A Death by a Thousand Cuts”
Hayes described the ordeal as “a death by 1,000 cuts,” detailing how Atkins’ behavior escalated after his friend, Marcus Smith, joined the business. She stated that Atkins would shout “potato” even before she had a chance to speak, and sent her a picture of a potato via WhatsApp. He also made comments about her allegedly “lusting after the travellers outside the office” BBC News.
Impact on Hayes
Hayes testified that the harassment “totally eroded my self-respect and my self-esteem,” leaving her feeling “tiny, insecure, violated and extremely anxious.” She reported the behavior to Atkins on multiple occasions, but it continued. She eventually took sick leave in July 2024 due to work-related stress and was later dismissed from the company ITV News.
Tribunal Findings
Employment Judge Buckley ruled that the phrases used by Atkins were “overtly linked to race” and created a hostile, humiliating, and offensive environment for Hayes. While acknowledging Hayes had occasionally responded to the harassment by using the word “potato” or the potato emoji herself, the judge accepted she did so to “fit in” and “create it seem OK” BBC News.
Damages Awarded
Hayes was awarded £20,735.91 for harassment, along with four weeks’ pay amounting to £2,800. The total compensation exceeds £23,000 The Times.