NHS Assistant Awarded £1,425 After 'Auntie' Harassment

An NHS healthcare assistant has received £1,425 in compensation after an employment tribunal ruled she experienced harassment. The tribunal found that a male colleague, a nurse, persistently called her 'auntie' and made inappropriate comments about her appearance, despite her objections. The healthcare assistant, aged 61, had formally complained about the conduct, which included remarks about her lipstick and being a 'good match' for an older colleague.

While the nurse claimed 'auntie' was a culturally respectful term in Ghana, the employment judge found his evidence unconvincing and evasive. The judge determined that the repeated use of 'auntie' and the comments about her appearance, made in various workplace settings, created a reasonable perception of an offensive environment. Consequently, the tribunal upheld the harassment claim based on age and sex.

The healthcare assistant began her role at the West London NHS Trust in September 2022. Although other claims of discrimination and unlawful deductions were dismissed, the specific instances of harassment related to the 'auntie' nickname and appearance comments were upheld. The tribunal concluded that the nurse's actions, regardless of cultural intent, were offensive because they occurred against the wishes of the healthcare assistant.