Multi-million-pound company DPD has been ordered to pay over £20,000 to one of its drivers for sex harassment.

Courtney Rawlins, a male delivery driver from Swindon, faced harassment by colleagues at DPD after arranging flexible hours to help care for his child, which a woman would not have faced.

He brought a total of 10 allegations against DPD at the Bristol Employment Tribunal from September 9 to 12 - three of which were found to be instances of harassment related to him being a man.

Rawlins was employed by DPD as a 7.5-ton collection and delivery driver from February 15, 2021, until November 6, 2022.

Before the birth of his daughter in March 2022, Rawlins was granted a request for a four-day week, 10 hours a day from Monday to Thursday, so he could care for his daughter.

But on his return, Rawlins' new working arrangement was leaked to colleagues who “gossiped about him behind his back” and complained about his request for flexible hours.

Documents state: “The Tribunal found that this conduct related to the Claimant’s protected characteristic of being male because there is unlikely to have been gossip if a female changed their hours or working pattern to look after their baby.”

Comments by colleagues are said in court documents to have been motivated partly by “jealousy”.

“It is unlikely that a female in the Claimant’s position would have been perceived by colleagues as receiving unjustified special treatment”, court documents state.

Colleagues then complained to management about Rawlins’ new flexible hours and perceived “extra day off” with the purpose of “intentionally causing problems for the claimant at work”.

The tribunal found: “There was a lack of understanding that caring for a baby is not a day off.” 

In a resignation email on October 18, 2022, Rawlins said: “I feel extremely anxious about the thought of returning to work… As it stands the working relationship is untenable.”

A causal link was found between his resignation and the harassment, and hence he was awarded damages for the losses due to his resignation.

The tribunal awarded loss of earnings as the difference between what the Claimant would have earned at DPD and what he earned at Iceland for a period of 12 months after resigning. This was £10,620.48.

He was also granted £8,000 for injury to his feelings and interest of £1,706.67, giving a total compensation of £20,327.15

A DPD spokesperson said: “Unfortunately, we are unable to comment on the case but can confirm that we will be appealing the decision.”

Mr Rawlins' additional claims of unfair dismissal, constructive dismissal, and sex discrimination were dismissed.

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