On Tuesday 30 October 2007 23:14:37 kat wrote:
> Now THIS makes me angry!
>
>  From today's Times Online:
>
It makes me angry too, due to the one sided reporting. It is clear from the 
article that she joined the company in August 2006 (being a "new manager" in 
Sept 2006), and left the company mid December 2006 (after the Xmas party), so 
worked a maximum of 4 months (for part of that time she was off sick).

If you Google "megaflops bowling" you'll see that some 10 pin bowling centres 
offer (as part of a party package):- 

" a Champion certificate for the winner and a Megaflop certificate for the 
loser"

(Actually there is a photograph of the certificate in the Daily Mail and it is 
clearly produced by the 10-pin bowling centre, not her colleagues).

She simply "won" the certificate as the worst player. I have been in this 
situation many times (coming last in "socials" after work!). I am honoured to 
be the butt of ribaldry in those situations, since it shows they accept me 
without making an allowance for CP, because if it is anyone else who come 
last they get teased just as much (if not more so because I get my own back 
if I manage to avoid last). I'd much rather be teased for losing than people 
saying "Oh jolly bad luck, you did fantastic considering your disabilities". 
Oh, and they KNOW I'm going to whup them in the Office Quiz.

It seems like a very good company, her sicko boss was sacked just after she 
joined for sexual harrassment (of other staff) so it must take allegations 
seriously, investigate, and act on them. In her case they investigated and 
found nothing.

I wonder if the company will "risk" employing a disabled manager again?

Cheers

Deri



> Disabled woman ‘humiliated on a team-building trip’
>
> Yepoka Yeebo
>
> A disabled woman who was ordered to go ten-pin bowling with colleagues,
> even though she could not use a bowling ball, was jeered at and given
> the title “Mega Flops”, a tribunal was told yesterday.
>
> Sue Foss, 46, of Westfield, East Sussex, who has accused colleagues of
> sexual harassment, said constant bullying based on her disability left
> her depressed and ill.
>
> Ms Foss, who suffers from disabilities caused by the drug thalidomide,
> has three fingers on one hand, and one-inch fingers on the other.
>
> Ashford Employment Tribunal heard that Ms Foss, who is claiming damages
> for alleged sexual harassment, was told to go on the team-building
> exercise after she started working at Dore, a company in Sidcup that
> specialises in therapy for children with dyslexia, in September, 2006.
>
> Ms Foss, who has two children, said: “I explained that because of my
> disability I could not do this, but I was told that as a new manager I
> was expected to be there. I was told to get my tits out to distract the
> other team. I felt like a child using the ramp and so I bowled without
> it and acted the fool to try to cover my embarrassment.”
>
> She was given a rosette and a certificate, which she showed the court.
> It read: “This certifies that you have been awarded the title of Mega
> Flops.”
>
> Before a Christmas party she was told to wear a long dress to hide her
> legs but “make sure the puppies were on display”.
>
> “While we were sat round the table I was asked if I was a retired hooker
> and another colleague asked me ‘how much?’. They then started to try and
> throw pieces of bread at me. The goal was to get something down my
> cleavage and the table applauded if he did.
>
> “Instead of having fun I was miserable. Yet again, I was the brunt of
> all the jokes. I got back to the hotel and cried myself to sleep.”
>
> Ms Foss, who was earning £30,000 a year as a sales manager, said she was
> regularly humiliated. “I started off by accepting the jokes with a laugh
> and a smile, but as they went on they became more and more sexual and
> linked with my disability.
>
> “I became hurt and took them to heart and instead of forgetting about
> them I took them home with me and thought about them.”
>
> Giving evidence on behalf of Dore, Julie Roy, the financial director,
> said that she had been asked to carry out internal investigations into
> Ms Foss’s allegations, and could not find any evidence to support her
> claims.
>
> She said that Bob Clark, Ms Foss’s boss, was dismissed in August after
> it emerged he had been using his company mobile phone to send lewd
> messages. Ms Roy said he had a number of harassment claims against him.
>
> Ms Foss, who also has trouble walking, said that Mr Clark was
> responsible for planning a rollerskating trip. “I was on sick leave. But
> I had a call from my boss Bob Clark. He said he was disappointed I would
> not be going because he said he was looking forward to seeing me trying
> to roller-skate with my gammy leg and that then I would not be able to
> get away from him.”
>
> She said that she had tried to fit in and laugh off the slurs, but
> added: “It was more than I could bear. They were aware how hard I found
> it and how much pride I had to swallow, but they persisted in making a
> fool out of me. [The Christmas party] was the final straw for me and
> when I went back to work in January I just felt I couldn’t go on. I was
> driving to work in Sidcup and I got to a roundabout and just thought ‘I
> can’t do this’ and about-turned and drove home.”
>
> The hearing continues.
>
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