Northern Ireland Woman Settles Sexual Harassment Claim Against Tesco for £45,000

Lara Storey, a woman from Northern Ireland who previously worked as a Dotcom Personal Shopper for Tesco, has resolved her allegations of sexual harassment and victimisation against the company, receiving a settlement of £45,000. Ms. Storey stated her desire for “other women to know that they don’t have to accept this type of behaviour.” Her claims detailed sexual harassment by a colleague, involving physical touching and “inappropriate messages.” The settlement was reached without Tesco admitting liability. Tesco issued an “apology” regarding how Ms. Storey’s “concerns were handled in this store.” Ms. Storey reported that after she filed a grievance, the colleague she had complained about remained in their position, despite “assurances were given that they would be retrained or relocated to another department or store.” She recounted, “He was left to work alongside me over those months – a year, a year and a bit.” Ms. Storey expressed, “I wish none of this had ever happened. I was a student working my way through university – I didn’t ask for any of this. I had to challenge it and I’m glad I did. I want other women to know that they don’t have to accept this type of behaviour or treatment, and they should expect to be treated fairly by their employer.” According to Ms. Storey, she received no support or assistance from Tesco during the grievance process, and prior assurances regarding her not having to work with the colleague in question were not honored. She stated, “Any reassurance I got was continually broken (by Tesco).” Ms. Storey indicated that she felt compelled to alter her work schedule and location within the store to avoid the colleague. She explained, “I took my own initiative to remove myself from that environment and throughout the process I was told he had the same right to work in that store as I did.” The Equality Commission confirmed that Ms. Storey filed a complaint with the Office of the Industrial Tribunal. However, following this action, she reported feeling “victimised and treated unfairly” by senior staff members. The Commission stated, “This included being ignored and constantly criticised for very minor work issues. Lara eventually resigned from her job with Tesco due to her experience.” Geraldine McGahey, Chief Commissioner at the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland, commented: “Our sex discrimination laws are almost 50 years old, and unfortunately, they are needed as much today as they did when they were first introduced. Everyone has the right to be treated with dignity and respect at work,” Ms. McGahey asserted. She further added, “Employers must ensure that, where their employees fail to live up to that standard, action is taken to deal with it effectively and that employees are dealt with or supported appropriately. It is imperative therefore that employers have policies and procedures in place to manage these situations effectively and that their managers are trained to use them.” The Equality Commission reported that Tesco reiterated its dedication to equality of opportunity and “regrets” the impact of the events that prompted these claims on Lara, committing to process improvements. The Commission also noted that the company has consented to collaborate with them to review its policies, practices, and procedures concerning harassment. A spokesperson for Tesco stated: “We are committed to ensuring that everyone feels welcome at Tesco and there is no place for harassment of any kind in our business. We apologise for the way the concerns of this colleague were handled in this store and have taken some clear learnings which will help us further improve our processes going forward.” The spokesperson further mentioned that the policy from the Equality Commission has been disseminated, and its recommendations have been “welcomed” by Tesco.