Chef gets £22K harassment payout

A 28-year-old chef has received £22,500 in a settlement after she claimed she was harassed by a colleague at a Belfast-based catering company.

Gillian O'Rourke, a Catholic woman from the Irish Republic, took a case against Mount Charles Catering.

She claimed she was the victim of sexual harassment, sectarian chanting and threats of physical violence.

The Equality Commission said there "is no room for this type of discriminatory behaviour in our society".

Anne McKernan from the commission said the case highlighted the fact that people are still experiencing harassment in their working day.

"Employers cannot be complacent - they have a duty of care to their employees," she said.

"They must ensure that robust and clear policies are in place to prevent instances of harassment and that they deal with them clearly and speedily when they do occur."

A spokesperson from Mount Charles said the company was "fully committed to promoting a good and harmonious working environment".

"Whilst the claimant was still a Mount Charles employee we investigated the matter fully and could find no evidence to substantiate her allegations," they said.

"However, the claimant was offered relocation to another site within the Mount Charles group."

"Mount Charles continually reviews its internal procedures in order to safeguard the interests of our 800 employees.

"We are happy to meet the Equality Commission in a co-operative and transparent manner."