Firm's 'pretty woman' text was discrimination, tribunal finds

A vehicle recovery firm boss asked a female employee to attend a meeting because a client liked "pretty women", an employment tribunal has found.

Emma Nunn was working at Leicestershire-based G and M.J. Crouch and Son - known as Crouch Recovery - when director Adam Crouch sent the text on WhatsApp.

A judge found the comment would not have been made to a man.

The comment was "demeaning" of Miss Nunn's job at the firm, she said.

Miss Nunn made claims of sexual harassment, sexual discrimination, harassment relating to sex, and unfair dismissal as well as claims under two other sections of the Employment Rights Act against the breakdown firm.

The "pretty women" message was the only claim not to be dismissed by tribunal Judge Rachel Broughton at a hearing in 2023, who said the comment was "demeaning" of Miss Nunn's role at the firm.

Tribunal papers, which were released last week, showed that Mr Crouch told the claimant to attend a meeting with another company because their representative liked "pretty women", on 8 April 2021.

Miss Nunn told the director she should have been needed in the meeting as she "looked after" the company. To the director of the firm, she added: "I am not coming If just for pretty face."

In response, Mr Crouch said: "Calm down Royder! Ok babes xx."

Royder is a play on the nickname "Emma Royd", described by the judge as a play on the word "haemorrhoid", the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

During cross-examination, Miss Nunn conceded she had used the term "babes" towards male employees "and that there was nothing gender-specific about it".

Employment Judge Broughton said: "Mr Adam Crouch was not being affectionate, he was being sarcastic and teasing her when she was clearly upset by his comment."

The tribunal ruled male employees would not have had the same comments made to them, or had their physical attractiveness given as a reason to attend a meeting.

The judge said: "While they were on good [terms], it should have been obvious to him that such a comment would be unwelcome.

"It was not flattering the claimant, it was reducing her value to the business in that context, and what she would contribute to the meeting."

A hearing to decide the amount of compensation to be awarded to Miss Nunn will take place at a future date.

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