Melbourne sex harassment payout: Worker Kate Mathews wins $1.3 million in personal injury damages
A FEMALE road construction worker who was subjected to shocking sexual harassment at a Melbourne construction company has been awarded more than $1.3 million in personal injury damages by the Victorian Supreme Court.
Employees and subcontractors at Winslow Constructors verbally abused Kate Mathews who endured shocking treatment between August 2008 and July 2010 while working at the Marriott Waters estate in Lyndhurst.
The mistreatment of Ms Matthews included being slapped on the bottom, shown pornographic material and asked: “Would you do this?”
She was also called “useless”, a “spastic” and a “bimbo” while co-workers also grabbed her and pretended to perform sex acts on her.
One worker also said: “Anything that bleeds once a month should be shot.”
The court heard an appalling litany of sexual insults and appalling conduct directed at Ms Mathews.
Another day when Ms Mathews was going home for lunch one day, a colleague told her: “I am going to follow you home, rip your clothes off and rape you.”
This threat prompted her to stop working at the civil engineering company.
Ms Mathews’s concerns were laughed at and complaints ignored by her supervisors, the court heard.
Ms Mathews now suffers from serious chronic psychiatric illnesses including bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety and depression.
She also has a jaw injury from constant grinding of her teeth.
She was awarded a total of $1.36 million in damages and for past and future economic loss and for pain and suffering.
Winslow secretly videotaped Ms Mathews on seven days in the years after she left the company to try to contest her claim.
But Justice Forrest dismissed the video evidence, saying it showed little about her mental state.
On the fifth day of the seven-day hearing, Winslow admitted negligence.
Maurice Blackburn senior associate Holly Pinnis said after the decision that the case highlighted the serious impact workplace abuse, bullying and sexual harassment had on employees.
“Kate was subject to behaviour no one should ever have to endure. The fact that this happened at her workplace under her employer’s nose makes it all the more shocking,” Ms Pinnis said.
“This case puts all employers on notice. If you have an employee being harassed and bullied, you can’t sit on your hands.”
Graham Ashton calls for respect2:00
Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police Graham Ashton talks about sexual harassment within the police force