File Photo A Christchurch teenager who was bombarded with workplace sexual harassment such as “It’s Friday. Time for you to give us a blow job,” has been awarded more than $35,000. “Are you gay?” the 16-year-old was asked while he worked at Kevin Hyde Engineering. When he replied that he wasn’t, he was told “That’s not what your mother told me.” Named by the Employment Relations Authority only as Mr Y, the teenager says his boss Kevin Hyde once asked him “Would you like to see how long my d*ck is?” then got a ruler out, before adding “would you like to suck my dick?” The teenager was employed as a labourer in February 2011 after leaving high school. He told the ERA he was sometimes subjected to sexual harassment several times a day, which took a significant toll on his physical and mental health. When it came to the sexual harassment, Hyde said the sexual language was workplace banter. ERA member Christine Hickey disagreed, ruling: “Such language and behaviour of a sexual nature went beyond the bounds of reasonable banter that could be expected even in the all-male environment of an engineering workshop. ‘Mr Y’ ultimately walked out on the job on a day when he was asked by Hyde if he was gay, and bugged about his cellphone use. He says he left after Hyde told him “if you don’t like it here, piss off,” which the ERA ruled was a constructive dismissal. A constructive dismissal occurs where an employee appears to have resigned, but the situation is such that the resignation has been forced or initiated by an action of the employer. The company has been ordered to pay the teenager $7,528.48 in unpaid wages and unpaid holiday pay, plus interest, along with $15,795 in lost remuneration, $12,000 compensation for humiliation, loss of dignity and injury to feelings, along with his $3,500 legal costs and $71.56 for the filing fee.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Tuesday, 16th July 2013 - 3:08pm