An Irish woman was awarded £23,526 (approx ₹29 lakh) as compensation from the Labor Court after it concluded that her employer had racially harassed her by repeatedly shouting “potato” at her. Reports said the director of the company where she worked used several “offensive and demeaning” remarks directed at her Irish heritage.
Bernadette Hayes, who worked at engineering firm West Leeds Civils, told the Daily Mail that the behavior of her boss Mick Atkins had a strong emotional impact on her.
How did these remarks affect Hayes?
Hayes said the constant taunts left her feeling “small, insecure, violated and extremely anxious”. The hostile environment made her afraid to go to work, and she told the newspaper that the long-term stress during those months caused panic attacks and insomnia.
“He did it in front of other employees. As soon as he walked into the office, he yelled potato without me talking to him,” Hayes said. She added: “It totally eroded my self-esteem and confidence.”
Hayes also claimed that Atkins used the word “potato” when communicating with her on WhatsApp.
Why did she continue to work despite the harassment?
In her statement to the tribunal, Hayes explained that she stayed in the job because she was relying on the income.
“I felt trapped and that added to my anxiety. I kept quiet so as not to draw attention to myself, but that didn’t work either,” she said.
Hayes further alleged that Atkins made other derogatory remarks related to her Irish heritage.
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“He even sent a ‘potato’ in a WhatsApp exchange. Mr Atkins went on to call me a gypsy/traveler because of my Irish background. He kept saying I wanted travelers outside the office. I felt bullied and harassed by this,” she told the court.
What did the tribunal say about the claims?
During the hearing, it was noted that Hayes once used the word “potato” herself and even sent a vegetable emoji when communicating with Atkins. However, the employment judge concluded that she only did so to “fit in”.
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“The complainant told Mr Atkins on a number of occasions that she did not find his comments funny. I found that the complainant did not regularly use the term ‘potato’ to describe herself. I do not accept that these conversations were generally ‘back and forth’,” the judge said.
How did the harassment affect her daily life?
The tribunal heard that the incidents had a profound effect on Hayes’ mental well-being.
“As soon as she woke up on the working morning, she started thinking about the comments and felt nervous about what was going to happen that day. She didn’t want to go to work, but she knew she needed to. She found herself putting off going to work. She would often sit in the car before the work day and try to encourage herself to go to the building,” the judge said.
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Judge Sophie Buckley added that Hayes would try to check that Atkins was present before entering the office.
“She would wait to see who was in the parking lot and hope she wouldn’t see Mr. Atkins’ car. She would also check her emails to see if Mr. Atkins was out of the office. When Mr. Atkins and Mr. Smith were there, she felt physically sick when they were both there.”
What compensation did she receive?
According to the report, Hayes was awarded a total of £23,526. The amount includes £13,000 for “hurt to feelings” and £6,014 related to loss of earnings.
How did the employer react?
Atkins dismissed the legal proceedings, calling them “nonsense from start to finish”.
“The potato was actually her joke, she’s from Northern Ireland. But I don’t want to say too much to get into more trouble. Pikey (the comment) was never made. It was all made up nonsense. It was an absolute nightmare to be honest. It makes my blood boil, actually,” he told the paper.
