A worker wins an employment tribunal against her former employer for insulting and verbally abusing her
A worker has won an employment tribunal against her former employer after he allegedly insulted her tea-making skills and labelled her a “stupid melon”.
The Sun reports that Mahbooba Shirin, a barrister, was insulted by her former boss Richard Barca during her employment as a paralegal. Barca stands accused of verbally abusing her and using expletives in his tirades against her.
Barca, of Wilson Barca LLP, was reprimanded at an earlier tribunal for reportedly calling an employee a “plonker”. When questioned, Barca admitted swearing at his employees.
It was also heard that Shirin kept a diary of the alleged abuse levelled at her during her eight months at the firm.
In the diary, she claims that she was “treated like a slave”, and that Barca yelled at her for not making tea “to his liking”. Shirin resigned in 2016, claiming she could “take the abuse no further”. She was later diagnosed with depression.
The judge ruled that Shirin was harassed due to her gender and her age – 51 – and a constructive dismissal claim was denied.
