A female firefighter who played rugby for England is set to win more than £50,000 in compensation after being told ‘if you don’t want to work in a sexist organisation you’re in the wrong job’.
In a ‘longstanding campaign’ Sasha Acheson was subject to ‘persistent’ derogatory and offensive comments by bosses at Avon Fire and Rescue Service which got so bad she eventually quit, an employment tribunal heard.
Last December Ms Acheson, who is gay, won claims of sex discrimination and constructive dismissal as well as numerous claims of sex harassment, victimisation and harassment on the grounds of sexual orientation.
Now – in a provisional judgement – the tribunal has ruled she would be likely to win £17,001 for financial losses as well as £35,000 for injury to feelings.
Ms Acheson, 33, who played for the Red Roses between 2014 and 2017, was ‘belittled’ and targeted by Crew Manager Dean Davies and Watch Manager Simon Bailey, it was found.
It was also heard that their actions created an ‘openly sexist and discriminatory workplace environment’.
Sasha Acheson (pictured) was subject to ‘persistent’ derogatory and offensive comments by bosses which got so bad she eventually quit, an employment tribunal heard
Ms Acheson (pictured playing for England Women in 2014) was ‘belittled’ and targeted by Crew Manager Dean Davies and Watch Manager Simon Bailey, it was found
Comments included CM Davies asking if a new female recruit was ‘fit’ and male bosses suggesting a woman’s place was ‘in the kitchen’.
The Bristol tribunal heard Ms Acheson qualified as a firefighter in January 2020, having been part of Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service from June 2017.
She transferred to Avon Fire and Rescue Service in January 2021.
In July 2021, it was heard Ms Acheson was ‘belittled’ by CM Davies, who ignored her efforts to tell him how to solve a problem on exercise – but ‘praised’ a male firefighter who simply repeated what she had said.
The tribunal found this to be sex discrimination.
Avon Fire and Rescue admitted to ‘persistent sexual derogatory and offensive comments’ towards or about women – which created an ‘openly and over sexist and discriminatory workplace environment’, it was heard.
It also admitted male colleagues ‘openly and frequently made openly sexist comments with managers joining in and even starting the banter’.
In May 2021, CM Davies told colleagues he and Ms Acheson had watched porn together, had a ‘bonding moment’ and so were at ‘next level’ whilst moving ‘uncomfortably close’ by putting his arm around her – inferring an intimate relationship.
The tribunal ruled this was ‘clearly sexual harassment’.
In July 2021, when discussing a new female recruit, CM Davies asked ‘is she fit?’.
Last December Ms Acheson won claims of sex discrimination and constructive dismissal as well as numerous claims of sex harassment, victimisation and harassment on the grounds of sexual orientation (Pictured: Ms Acheson with colleagues)
It was heard bosses were heard discussing a female firefighter, saying ‘yeah she’s been in the gym, she should have been in the kitchen working up a sweat instead’ – which the tribunal found ‘simply reflects straightforwardly [the] sexist assumption that a woman’s place was in the kitchen’.
CM Davies created a ‘genuinely held’ belief at the station that Ms Acheson was lazy by falsely claiming she was asleep and telling someone to ‘wake her up’.
On July 17, 2021, in what was admitted as victimisation, CM Davies acted aggressively towards Ms Acheson, shouting, moving overly close whilst waving his arms close and making her feel ‘physically threatened’.
He then said he was ‘not the worst for being sexist’ and ‘if you don’t want to work in a sexist organisation you’re in the wrong job’.
The next month CM Davies said he would take Ms Acheson on a community visit, but not on a fire call – something the tribunal found was indicative of a ‘sexist assumption that he did not want female firefighters on fire calls’.
The hearing was told bosses also made homophobic comments, as CM Davies asked her ‘do men not do it for you sexually?’.
Following the incident in July, Ms Acheson made a complaint to the manager in November, submitting a formal grievance in December.
In a provisional judgement the tribunal has ruled Ms Acheson would be likely to win £17,001 for financial losses as well as £35,000 for injury to feelings
But no progress was made as WM Bailey failed to advance her grievance, she eventually resigned in April 2022.
Employment Judge Paul Cadney said: ‘[Ms Acheson] contends she was the subject of a longstanding campaign against her and the allegations are not separate individual events but necessarily connected and part of a continuing act.
‘In our judgement the allegations we have upheld against both CM Davies and WM Bailey demonstrate a consistent pattern of behaviour by both over a relatively short period of time and do form part of a continuing act.’
Upholding her claim of constructive dismissal, he added: ‘We are satisfied that dismissal was a discriminatory in so far as all of the fundamental breaches of contract that we have upheld are in and of themselves acts of discrimination.’
Judge Cadney said she had been made to feel ‘worthless’ and would come home crying feeling ‘so low, afraid and totally beaten’.
A full remedy hearing will take place at a later date.
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