Judge Rules Calling a Woman “Pretty” in the Workplace as Sex Discrimination
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Defining Workplace Etiquette: Judge Calls “Pretty” Comment Sexist
A judge in Leicester has ruled that referring to a woman as “pretty” in the workplace constitutes sex discrimination. This landmark decision arises from a complaint by Ms. Nunn, an accounts manager at a vehicle recovery company, who challenged her employer’s conduct. Her boss had specifically invited her to a meeting citing that a male client preferred “attractive female employees,” a statement the tribunal found to demean and diminish her professional role.
Impact on Professional Integrity and Legal Recourse
The remark caused Ms. Nunn significant distress, leading her to feel humiliated and professionally undermined, particularly after her boss, Adam Crouch, dismissed her concerns by instructing her to “calm down” and endearingly calling her “babes” in communications. These demeaning interactions contributed to her decision to resign from her lucrative £60,000-a-year position.
Employment tribunal judge Broughton highlighted that such comments about a woman’s appearance are unlikely to be directed at male colleagues and inherently devalue a woman’s contribution to the business. The judge criticized the remark for being not only inappropriate but also sexual in nature, suggesting that the client viewed Ms. Nunn as a sexual object, potentially leading to unwelcome professional interactions.
Interestingly, the tribunal noted that the non-professional manner in which Mr. Crouch treated Ms. Nunn—whom he had known as a family friend since she was 18—blurred the lines of their professional relationship, a dynamic both had previously encouraged.
Although most of Ms. Nunn’s claims were dismissed, the tribunal upheld her complaint regarding the “pretty woman” remark, marking a significant recognition of how such comments can perpetuate sex discrimination in the workplace.
A subsequent hearing will determine the compensation Ms. Nunn will receive for the discrimination she endured, as the case continues to underline the importance of maintaining professional decorum and gender neutrality in workplace communications.
Follow the case here:
Stay updated in Ms E Nunn v G and M J Crouch & Son Ltd: 2601266/2021 and 2601643/2021
Read the full decision in Ms E Nunn v G. & M.J. Crouch & Son Ltd: 2601266/2021 and 2601643/2021 - Reserved Judgment.
Read the full decision in Ms E Nunn v G and M J Crouch & Son Ltd: 2601266/2021 and 2601643/2021 - Reserved Liability Judgment.
