A gym boss told his female employees that women should not be managers because they ‘just ramble on’ and ‘are too emotional’, an employment tribunal heard.
Kris Whitelaw, 36, told Sophie Veitch that women ‘just go off on a tangent’ and said if he was in charge things would be run differently.
He also subjected Energie Fitness general manager Ms Veitch to ‘sweeping’ and ‘derogatory’ statements which drew on ‘disparaging stereotypes’.
A tribunal in North Shields, Tyne and Wear, found that Mr Whitelaw harassed Ms Veitch by making comments about women in management in October 2018 and by commenting on her appearance in a Facebook message that November.
He was also found to have victimised Ms Veitch by making her redundant from her role during a company restructure in November 2018.
Gym boss Kris Whitelaw, 36, told his colleague Sophie Veitch at Energie Fitness gym that women ‘just go off on a tangent’ and said if he was in charge things would be run differently
A tribunal in North Shields, Tyne and Wear, found that Mr Whitelaw, who joined Energie Fitness two years ago (pictured, gym branch in Blaydon) harassed Ms Veitch by making comments about women in management in October 2018 and by commenting on her appearance in a Facebook message that November. He was also found to have victimised Ms Veitch by making her redundant from her role at Energie Fitness in November 2018
The tribunal heard how Mr Whitelaw told Ms Veitch ‘he did not believe women should be in management positions’ two weeks after he joined the gym.
He claimed that women ‘just ramble on and are too emotional in meetings’ before adding women often ‘go off on a tangent.’
He then told a shocked Ms Veitch that he was surprised how Managing Director Adam Thompson had allowed women to rise through the ranks and said that if he was in charge ‘things would be run differently’.
After Ms Veitch raised the issue with her superiors they spoke to Mr Whitelaw who ‘categorically’ denied that he had ever made those remarks.
Operations director Andy Evans said Mr Whitelaw had been spoken to about the comments and the situation had been ‘handled.’
In October 2018, following a restructure at Stessa Leisure, which ran Energie Fitness gyms in Blaydon, Tynemouth and Jarrow, all the general managers became redundant and had to reapply for their jobs.
When staff including Ms Veitch were told Mr Whitelaw would be carrying out the interviews, female workers raised concerns and said that given Mr Whitelaw’s previous remarks they felt it unlikely they would be given a fair chance.
The tribunal heard how Mr Whitelaw told Ms Veitch ‘he did not believe women should be in management positions’ two weeks after he joined the gym
Another woman Ms Sobihy, who also launched a claim against Stessa Leisure, sent an email to her managers saying: ‘I have decided not to go ahead with an interview with Kris Whitelaw for the following reasons.
‘After his comments that women should not be in charge and he finds it hard to believe how Adam allows women to ‘ramble’ on in meetings I feel that the interview will be discriminated.’
By the end of the week three men had been offered jobs at the clubs. All of them were interviewed and appointed by Mr Whitelaw.
In fact, senior management had already decided that all the general managers were to be made redundant and would no longer continue in their current roles.
A few days later, Mr Whitelaw sent a Facebook message to Ms Veitch which read: ‘OMG Sophie-just seen the wedding pics! Didn’t realise you could look so stunning-clearly must be a filter-plus Matty is well punching.’
When Ms Veitch raised this text with Andy Evans, Mr Whitelaw claimed it was just ‘banter’ and alleged she had taken pictures of his bare legs.
![The employment tribunal concluded: 'His [Mr Whitelaw's] comments were unwanted by her and she perceived them as creating a hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for her. 'The comments contained sweeping, derogatory statements about female managers in general and drew on disparaging stereotypes of women as being 'too emotional''](https://i2.wp.com/i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2020/07/14/13/30747980-8521315-image-a-59_1594729098853.jpg?resize=634%2C634&ssl=1)
The employment tribunal concluded: ‘His [Mr Whitelaw’s] comments were unwanted by her and she perceived them as creating a hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for her. ‘The comments contained sweeping, derogatory statements about female managers in general and drew on disparaging stereotypes of women as being ‘too emotional”
He even threatened to lodge a counter grievance against her for taking such an ‘inappropriate’ picture of him.
A ‘mediation meeting’ took place which left Ms Veitch in tears and during which Mr Evans told her if she escalated the matter to HR ‘things could get messy’.
Eventually she left Stessa Leisure but said that it ‘was not the option’ she would have liked to have taken.
The employment tribunal concluded: ‘His [Mr Whitelaw’s] comments were unwanted by her and she perceived them as creating a hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for her.
‘The comments contained sweeping, derogatory statements about female managers in general and drew on disparaging stereotypes of women as being ‘too emotional’.’
Ms Veitch succeeded in her claims of harassment, discrimination and unfair dismissal, although her claim of direct discrimination by way of dismissal and victimisation failed.
Ms Sobihy succeeded in her claim of harassment but her other complaints of discrimination and victimisation were dismissed.
A remedy hearing will be held in due course.