West Leeds Civils Racial Harassment Payout

Bernadette Meehan, an Irish bookkeeper, won over £23,000 in an employment tribunal after being racially harassed by her boss, Mick Atkins, at West Leeds Civils. Between December 2023 and June 2024, Atkins repeatedly shouted 'potato' at Hayes in a mock Irish accent and used derogatory terms like 'paddy', 'stupid paddy', and 'pikey'. Hayes described the experience as 'a death by 1,000 cuts', leading to severe anxiety and a hostile work environment. Despite her attempts to make the comments stop, the harassment continued, escalating after Marcus Smith became involved in the business. Hayes eventually took sick leave and filed a grievance, which led to her dismissal. The employment tribunal in Leeds, United Kingdom, ruled that the phrases used were 'overtly linked to race' and created a 'hostile, humiliating and offensive environment' for Hayes, awarding her £20,735.91 in damages and an additional four weeks' pay of £2,800.