Charity employee awarded £90,000 after sexual harassment left her with PTSD – People Management Magazine Online
Tribunal hears woman felt “powerless” and feared for her safety following verbal and physical abuse
A former employee at an anti-abuse charity has been awarded £90,000 after a prolonged campaign of sexual harassment by her manager that left her suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Ali Khan, founder of Glasgow-based charity Roshni, verbally and physically abused a female employee, the tribunal heard. The harassment began after the employee rejected Khan’s advances. Khan then reduced her working hours and issued a final written warning – but refused to let her leave her job.
Khan then made “sexually explicit remarks” to the employee, the tribunal heard. He also threatened to reveal intimate details about her to her family and post a video of them online in an attempt to “damage her prospects”. He also allegedly made threats of violence towards her family.
The charity did not intervene and, as a result, the employee installed an emergency police telephone line in her house.
Tribunal chair Emma Bell said: “We wish to record our disappointment that a charity which uses public funds to raise awareness about abuse finds it acceptable to allow the chief perpetrator of very grave acts of victimisation to continue his involvements in the activities of the organisation.”