Virgin Atlantic worker 'sexually harassed by accounts manager who made lewd comments and asked him to share a room'
- Ashley Roberts, 30, of Crawley, claimed job security was threatened
- Says airline's employee 'H' told him that he liked performing sex acts
- Was also asked whether he shaved his chest and genitals, tribunal told
By MARK DUELL
PUBLISHED: 11:22 GMT, 27 May 2013 | UPDATED: 15:04 GMT, 27 May 2013
Tribunal: Ashley Roberts, 30, claimed one of the airline's finance managers repeatedly made inappropriate comments towards him
A Virgin Atlantic employee was asked by a gay colleague whether he shaved his genitals or liked performing sex acts, an employment tribunal heard. Ashley Roberts, 30, of Crawley, West Sussex, claimed one of the airline’s finance managers repeatedly made inappropriate comments towards him - and even threatened his job security when he spurned his advances.The employee - identified as 'H' for legal reasons - allegedly told Mr Roberts, who is straight and claims he was the victim of sexual harassment, that he liked performing sex acts.
He was also asked whether he shaved his chest and genitals, with H telling Mr Roberts that he did, the tribunal was told.On another occasion H is said to have rubbed Mr Roberts's leg while he was sitting next to him in the office and told him he took Viagra to ensure he was constantly aroused.The tribunal in Croydon, south London, heard how Mr Roberts handed a diary of 29 alleged offences to Virgin's human resources department last June.
This included one incident when Mr Roberts said H told him ‘your bum looks nice in those jeans’. And as Mr Roberts bent down to pick something up from the floor, H allegedly said: ‘I like your Calvin Klein underwear’.Mr Roberts claims that the sexual misconduct began back in December 2007, at a Christmas meal out with work colleagues.It is alleged that H sat down beside Mr Roberts and asked him if he would like to sit next to him in the office. H then said he liked looking at Mr Roberts because he was ‘perfect’.Mr Roberts told the hearing: ‘He never asked other staff to sit next to him. They were unusual comments and I thought it was because he was drinking.
'I told a table of work colleagues what he had said and some of the team members said he fancied me.’In the months after the Christmas meal Mr Roberts said he was often invited outside into the smoking area by H for a ‘catch-up’. But he was regularly asked about his sexual orientation.Mr Roberts said: ‘He asked me if I was single, what I was up to at the weekend, that sort of thing.‘He told me in the smoking area he was gay. I told him I wasn't gay, but he obviously did not believe me because he was making sexual comments towards me.’During these conversations the tribunal was told that H put ‘relentless’ pressure on Mr Roberts to go to Mumbai, India, to help train staff. He claims that H said the pair, who both still work for the airline, should share a room on the trip.
Allegations: Mr Roberts claimed one of the airline's finance managers repeatedly made inappropriate comments towards him - and even threatened his job security when he spurned his advances (file picture)
Mr Roberts said: ‘He said if you don't go to India you're going to lose your job. It was all about trying to make me go to India. When H asked to share a room with me I was mortified.’However Mr Roberts said he couldn’t go because his mother had cancer - ‘but it was also because of the sexual remarks he made.’It was after this that Mr Roberts claimed that H made his time at work ‘difficult’ and often made threatening comments, even saying he would lose his job.
On one occasion H put a bin on Mr Roberts' desk to highlight the fact he wasn't putting waste in the correct place, the hearing was told.Another time H organised a meeting to show staff how to open bags properly, where Mr Roberts's claimed he was ‘humiliated’ when H told his colleagues that he had been having difficulties opening the bags.
Whilst H admitted both those incidents happened, he denied all allegations of sexual misconduct.H's solicitor Alexander Robson said Mr Roberts had made up the claims after his original allegations of bullying and harassment were rejected due to a lack of evidence.'I told him I wasn't gay, but he obviously did not believe me because he was making sexual comments towards me'
Ashley Roberts
In a witness statement presented to the tribunal, H said: ‘I understood Ashley produced a number of documents together with a statement containing new allegations against me. 'These allegations were that I had made inappropriate comments and actions of a sexual nature towards him.‘Ashley's allegations that I have treated him less favourably and harassed him on the grounds that I perceived him as gay are entirely malicious, false and have in my opinion been raised with the intention to discredit me.‘This entire episode has caused me and my team much stress and anxiety over the past 12 months and I would like to finally be in a position to clear my name. I feel like I have been persecuted by Ashley purely on the grounds of my sexual orientation.’Mr Roberts is claiming sex discrimination and sexual discrimination based on gender and orientation against Virgin Atlantic. The tribunal continues.
