Tuesday October 19th 1999

£10,000 award to harassed woman

By Suzanne Breen, in Belfast

A Belfast agency of the Department of Health and Social Services has agreed to pay £10,000 compensation to a former employee who was sexually harassed by colleagues because she was a transsexual.

The North’s new Equality Commission welcomed the settlement, saying it sent a clear message to employers.  The woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, told her supervisor in strict confidence that she was transsexual.

This information became public and the woman was subjected to sexual harassment by her colleagues for over four years.  “I was laughed at, ignored, and treated like a freak by so many people I worked with.  I was powerless to stop them and received practically no support from DHSS management.  “All I asked for was a job free from harassment.” The woman became increasingly distressed as the taunting and jibes intensified and, suffering from severe depression, she had to take nearly six months’ leave.

She said that on returning to work she received assurances from management that she would be treated like everyone else, but she said her colleagues soon resumed their attacks.

“A member of staff even discussed me with employees from another government agency.  It was too much.  I did not have a private life any more.”

The woman took legal action and left the North.  In the settlement, the DHSS apologised for “the hurt and distress” she suffered and agreed to review its policies and procedures on sexual harassment and transsexualism.

Copyright © 1999, The Irish Times