A woman who brought a claim for sexual harassment, after she discovered that nine of her colleagues had circulated obscene e-mails about her, has received a £10,000 settlement from her former employer.
The woman, who worked as a Sales Support Administrator and Personal Assistant, only came across the offending e-mails when she was given access to a colleague's inbox when he was absent from the office on extended leave. She made a formal complaint but felt that this was not taken seriously. Eventually, she felt she had no choice but to resign. The woman was supported in her action by the Equal Opportunities Commission.
There have been several cases recently involving the misuse of e-mail at work. Employers should remind employees that what they put in an e-mail message should not be regarded any less seriously than written or spoken communications. Firm's policies should be clear on this issue.
