A trainee hairdresser whose boss offered her £10,000 (11,600) to sleep with him has won £20,500 (€23,800) in compensation.
Maryam Mashayekhi worked at a Toni and Guy salon in Sheffield city centre. She claimed she suffered sexual and racial harassment at the hands of her married manager Christopher Story for six months in 2010.
An employment tribunal found Mr Story, 39, guilty of inappropriate conduct leaving Mrs Mashayekhi, 34, humiliated and her confidence shattered, the Daily Mail reports.
The father of two subjected Maryam to sexual harassment and racial discrimination, made her an ‘indecent proposal’ of £10,000 for sex, and made racial comments before dismissing her.
Iranian-born Mrs Mashayekhi also alleged that Mr Story once handed her cash and pushed her head to his groin as they sat in a car outside a client’s home.
He said to her: “How much money do you want to have sex? Are you having sex for £1,000, what about £2,000 or £10,000?”
Mrs Mashayekhi responded: “No, not even for £20,000. I love my husband.”
She continued: “Mr Story got hold of some money, gave me the money as if he was paying me, got hold of the back of my head and pushed it down towards his groin. I was horrified by this and immediately pulled away.
“He said he was having a joke and giving the lady something to look at. I was livid.”
Maryam also claimed that, weeks into the job, Mr Story asked her about sexual preferences in front of colleagues.
She said Mr Storey asked her in front of other staff: “You are Iranian, do you do it doggy style as well?”
She alleges that her boss called her “stupid” daily and she lost her self-confidence.
The trainee hairdresser was signed off unfit with severe depression in November 2010 and never returned to work at Toni & Guy.
Story claimed the sex allegation was “wildly inaccurate and extremely offensive”. He insisted he had a good working relationship with Mrs Mashayekhi.
