In a landmark decision, a tribunal has declared that referring to senior female colleagues as “grandmother” within the workplace constitutes harassment. This ruling came after Andrea Petroi, an employee at the Soho Sandwich Company, successfully sued her employer for age discrimination.

Ms. Petroi faced derogatory remarks from younger coworkers who described her as being “like my grandmother” and commented that “she is old, so she gets angry.” Such statements were part of a broader pattern of behavior that left her feeling bullied and humiliated.

Despite being in her 60s, her colleagues suggested she did not require the same motivation and rewards as their younger counterparts, further exacerbating the discriminatory environment.

The tribunal’s judgment made it clear that within the framework of UK employment law, labeling older female employees as “grandmother” can indeed be considered age harassment. The ruling highlighted that it is entirely reasonable for women in the workforce to feel “humiliated” when subjected to such terms.

But using the term ‘grandmother’ to describe older female colleagues amounts to age harassment under UK employment laws, a judge said.

It is reasonable for female workers in Britain to feel ‘humiliated’ if they are called a grandmother, the tribunal ruled.

Ms Petroi is now in line for compensation after the tribunal, held in Reading, ruled that she had been subject to ‘unwanted conduct related to her age which had the effect of humiliating her, and it was reasonable for her to feel that way’.

She started working as a line leader at the Soho Sandwich Company in 2008.

Andrea Petroi, who is in her 60s, is now in line for compensation for age discrimination, harassment and victimisation, constructive unfair dismissal and unauthorised deduction from wages (Stock image)

In April 2022, she had an altercation with a fellow line leader, Abu Sayed, on the sandwich production line where he shouted at Ms Petroi, telling her she should not be managing him and got very ‘aggressive’. 

When the incident was investigated, Mr Sayed said she was ‘like my grandmother’ but that he ‘respected her’.

Ms Petroi also complained about Mr Sayed singing in his own language, Bengali, and she had found out he had been referring to her as ‘grandmother’ in the song.

The sandwich company said it investigated both the incidents but the tribunal only found evidence of the shouting incident being looked into.

During a meeting about the incident, Ms Petroi was asked by her general manager: ‘What is important to you at this age? What is most important to you in life because they are young, they need to learn things. But for you, right now, what is most important?’

He also asked her to relax and focus more on ‘important things her age, like peace, health and family.’ 

Ms Petroi asked her general manager to clarify her position in the company because she believed she was also a line manager, as well as a line leader, so would be more senior than the man she had an altercation with.

He told her he couldn’t confirm this because ‘things have changed’.

Ms Petroi started working as a line leader at the Soho Sandwich Company in 2008 (Stock image)

She said she took this to mean she had been ‘demoted’.

During the investigation, some of her colleagues admitted saying ‘she is old, so she gets angry’.

In an email the senior leaders said: ‘Tell Adriana to leave them alone. They are young and we do not need this kind of problem now, we are busy.’

In May 2022, she said she sent an email saying that she had been ‘bullied and humiliated and was unwell because of the stress’. 

She took sick leave for eight days and was told that she would not be paid for these. 

Ms Petroi said this was the ‘last drop that filled my cup’.

She resigned at the end of the month, saying it was ‘impossible’ for her to work at the company because she was a ‘victim of unfair treatment, discrimination’.

Employment judge Wendy Anderson said the comments about her not being rewarded or motivated because it was only the ‘younger people’ that needed this was discrimination. 

In relation to the comments about her being a ‘grandmother’, judge Anderson ruled this amounted to harassment.

She said: ‘The tribunal accepts that Mr Sayed’s reference to Ms Petroi as being “like my grandmother” was unwanted conduct relating to her age.

‘It notes that the comment was not made directly to her, but it was relayed to her and there was a second incident (as described in the next allegation) in which Mr Sayed referred to her as a grandmother (using the Bengali term “Dadi”) in her hearing.

‘The tribunal accepts that this was unwanted conduct related to her age, which had the effect of humiliating her, and it was reasonable for her to feel that way.’ 

Ms Petroi also made a successful claim that she suffered constructive unfair dismissal because she was effectively ‘demoted’ and she was not supported in her job role.

She said she was forced to resign because of the company’s ineffective investigation of her age harassment claims and that she could no longer work there.

Ms Petroi also successfully claimed she had been underpaid during the time she took off sick and also over bank holidays.

She is now in line for compensation for age discrimination, harassment and victimisation, constructive unfair dismissal and unauthorised deduction from wages.