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Thursday, June 23, 2011

Manager spanked staff, asked others to grab his genitals

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Manager spanked staff, asked others to grab his genitals
Pete Smith allegedly also used to sit women staff on his knee and stroke their hair while encouraging others to grab his genitals.
The "boys' club" culture at the marine supplies company also involved the sales manager viewing blow-up dolls and sex toys on the internet, it is claimed.
Former sales executive Angelina Ashby, 41, (pic )says staff at Chesterfield-based Cathelco Ltd drew insulting cartoons about her weight and she was called "fat face" in an email
The mother-of-one says she was subjected to a "continuous course of mistreatment" until she lodged a grievance after she couldn't take the "bullying and hurtful" comments any longer.
Just a few days later she claims sales executive Laura Holland was chased around the office by Mr Smith "who then proceeded to put her over his knee and spank her."
Miss Ashby says other male staff made derogatory comments about her.
As she lent over Pete Smith's desk to collect cups sales executive Laurie Wilson said: "Never mind Pete you have Angel's ---- in your face."
On another occasion deputy sales manager Kevin Ward told a colleague "that's Angel" while pressing a "talking" key ring which said "damn you vile women" repeatedly.
Miss Ashby, from Chesterfield, is claiming constructive dismissal and sex and pay discrimination against Cathelco.
She told the Sheffield hearing she started work for the company in June, 2003 as a sales executive in the marine division but joined the sales team in September, 2006.
The mother-of-one said her treatment by Pete Smith and other male members of the sales team drove her to take anti-depressants.
She claims she was ostracised within the department and made to feel an outsider. "I was regularly excluded from conversations which involved the sales team be it general office banter or daily work conversations," she said.
She once found Pete Smith, Kevin Ward and Laurie Wilson laughing at a piece of paper.
She later retrieved it from a bin. "It comprised a drawing of me which I found to be very offensive and hurtful," she said.
Miss Ashby regularly overheard colleagues whispering or talking about her in derogatory terms.
Mr Ward circulated an email to staff called the "wee run" in which it stated if anyone wanted a "slash" they had to do it before 4.15pm to avoid leaving work early.
Miss Ashby says this referred to her as the previous day she worked all day in the office without a toilet break then had to dash home to use the loo.
Another email sent by Mr Ward to the sales team read: "If you have a FAT FAT face then you do not need to read this."
Miss Ashby claims it was a further dig at her weight.
She said she found the constant jibes "demeaning"and they were designed to belittle her in front of other staff.
When she finally submitted her grievance, the company's managing director Justin Salisbury told her she had a personality which "------" people off" and "in 20 years of business, Cathelco had only ever had a problem with women."
Miss Ashby claims at a later meeting Mr Salisbury told her "they had been very understanding and that he could easily have told me to ---- off."
She said the "laddish" attitude displayed by management was typified in an email sent to the company receptionist and forwarded to all staff by Mr Salisbury which said to her "either come to work or ---- off."
Another email to staff from management stated "Will the dirty bastard responsible for the disgusting unwashed crockery in the kitchen please cease behaving like a tosser and kindly clean up after him/herself".
Miss Ashby, who earned £13,500 a year, says she was also paid less and treated less favourably than her male comparators in terms of salary and bonus pay.
She claims her grievance was not properly investigated by the company because she was a female and she resigned in October, 2008.
She told the tribunal: "There is something of a boys' club atmosphere within Cathelco where females are deemed as being over emotional and sensitive if they have a complaint and who, during my time with Cathelco had to clearly work twice as hard as the male members of staff to gain career or monetary progression."
She added that males were fast-tracked to better jobs because they fitted in with the culture.
She said: "Many male members of staff play football and poker together and go to the gym together. I do not think that this culture helped me obtain a fair investigation of my grievances."
After a year unemployed she now works as an administrator at Chesterfield and North Derbyshire Hospital.
Cross-examined by Barry Warne for Cathelco she admitted Pete Smith did not make any sexual advances towards her.
But she said a female colleague's life was "made hell" by his sexual harassment of her. "Pete Smith manipulated, influenced people and played games," she said.
The company denies all the allegations.
The hearing continues.



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