Home / Crime and Justice / Healthcare Worker Wins Harassment Case Over 'Auntie' Nickname
Healthcare Worker Wins Harassment Case Over 'Auntie' Nickname
8 Apr
Summary
- Healthcare assistant won harassment claim for being called 'auntie'.
- Tribunal ruled the term created an offensive environment.
- NHS Trust ordered to pay 1,425.15 pounds in damages.
An Indian-origin healthcare assistant, Ilda Esteves, has won a harassment claim against the UK's National Health Service (NHS). An employment tribunal found that a nurse colleague's repeated use of the term 'auntie' created an offensive environment.
Esteves, aged 61, argued that the term was used despite her requests to be addressed by her first name. While the tribunal acknowledged 'auntie' as a term of respect in Ghanaian culture, it concluded that its use against her wishes was offensive and constituted harassment on grounds of age and sex.
The West London NHS Trust was directed to pay Esteves 1,425.15 pounds in damages for injury to feelings. The tribunal noted that the comments were made over a short duration between June and September 2023. Other claims by Esteves were dismissed.
