'Auntie' comment lands Ghanaian NHS worker in trouble
Ilda Esteves, an NHS healthcare assistant, was awarded £1,425 in compensation after an employment tribunal ruled she was subjected to harassment by a colleague who repeatedly called her 'auntie'. Ilda Esteves, 61, informed her NHS colleague, Charles Oppong, that she found his constant use of the term offensive. Charles Oppong, a nurse, defended his actions by saying 'auntie' was a term of respect for older women in Ghanaian culture. He also told Ms. Esteves that she would be a "good match for the older staff member".
Ms. Esteves successfully brought a claim against the NHS for harassment based on her age and sex. Ms. Esteves began working as a healthcare assistant at the West London NHS Trust, specialising in Women's Forensic Services, in September 2022. She testified that Mr. Oppong, based at St Bernard's Hospital in London, had called her 'auntie' on multiple occasions, despite her requests for him to use her name. In a September 2023 email, Ms. Esteves formally complained about Mr. Oppong's conduct, writing: "A staff member called me auntie multiple times despite telling him to call me by my name. He said you want to be young then! He also commented on my lipstick and said I would be a good match for a member of staff named George."
While Mr. Oppong admitted to calling Ms. Esteves 'auntie' on one occasion, he maintained it was a term of respect in his Ghanaian culture. Employment Judge George Alliott found Mr. Oppong's evidence to be "poor". Judge Alliott acknowledged that "'auntie' is, in fact, a term of respect in Ghanaian culture (
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A Ghanaian NHS worker found himself in an employment tribunal with a colleague. The case centered around a term of endearment - but offense was taken.
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