Haley Tansey, 39, of Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, told the tribunal: "I'm not sure how long I had been asleep when I woke up with a horrible feeling that I was not alone and that I was being watched."
When she told the man to leave, he asked to use the bathroom. He then emerged naked and only left when she threatened to hit him with a high heel shoe.
Ms. Tansey worked for HBOS for 17 years. She said she had no choice but to resign from her £39,000-a-year "dream" job due to stress induced by the "harassing and laddish culture" at the bank.
In addition to the hotel room incident, she claims male colleagues tricked her into going to a lap dancing club; constantly subjected her to lewd and suggestive comments; watched pornography on their laptops during working hours; bragged about their sex lives; and one even slapped her backside.
She is claiming £604,000 in damages for loss of earnings and hurt feelings.
The hearing continues.
How to prove constructive dismissal
To prove constructive dismissal, Ms. Tansey must show that HBOS committed a serious breach of contract, she did not accept the breach, and she resigned because of the breach.
Examples of serious breaches of contract in this context include:
- Making it impossible for you to do your job effectively;
- Failing to give you reasonable support to carry out your job without
disruption, harassment or bullying from co-workers; &
- Forcing you to work in conditions where health and safety regulations are not observed.
** Additional Information & Advice **
Constructive dismissal cases are hard to win, so
always seek advice before quitting your job. Factors such as your employment
status, the terms of your employment contract, length of service, and reasons
for leaving all require consideration.
You can obtain further information about constructive dismissal on FindLaw.
Depending on your circumstances, you may want to speak with an employment law solicitor. You can be matched with a solicitor in your area for free via solicitor matching services, which can also help you to understand the best course of action for your situation and whether you are ready to hire a solicitor.
