A saleswoman specializing in double-glazing has revealed a distressing story of sexism at her workplace, where her colleagues placed a bet on who would “bed her first.”

Molly Craigie, 24, was appalled upon discovering the inappropriate wager and the series of sexualized remarks directed at her. She subsequently took her former employer, East Anglian Home Improvements, to an employment tribunal.

In a statement to the Daily Mail, she expressed, “I want to be evaluated based on my abilities, not my appearance or attire. The situation was truly degrading.”

Ms. Craigie’s team, which engaged in this sexist banter, was led by her supervisor, Filipe Goncalves, and included another manager along with two male sales representatives.

It is reported that Mr. Goncalves orchestrated the bet concerning who could sleep with her first, sharing it amongst the team.

The tribunal documents reveal that Mr. Goncalves made inappropriate remarks to Ms. Craigie, including, “It’s hard not to look at your a*se when the skirt falls in all the right places,” among other sexist comments.

He also told her after a potential sale fell through she should have slept with the buyer to protect the deal, it was said.

In an exclusive interview, Ms Craigie said: ‘It was really disappointing to see how they viewed me as just an object when in fact I was a successful saleswoman.

Molly Craigie, 24, who was the subject of a bet over which of her colleagues would ‘bed her first’ has told of her sexist office nightmare

The double-glazing saleswoman was horrified when she learned of the sordid wager which followed a string of sexualised comments

‘I like to think I have a little bit of personality and I’m not just about what I look like or how I dress.

I can’t believe that in this day and age people still judge women on their looks and not on their talents.’

Ms Craigie took the position at the Norwich-based windows firm in September 2022 when she was just 21 – and the sexist culture in the sales team was apparent almost immediately.

Mr Goncalves started asking about her sex life and making crude jokes, the tribunal heard.

Three months after starting Ms Craigie, who was making over £3,000 a month in commission alone, learned of the crude bet about her.

She told the hearing: ‘Mr Goncalves and another colleague had placed a wager between themselves as to who would sleep with me first.’

She was also reprimanded when a customer pulled out of a sale agreement, with Mr Goncalves telling her she should have ‘slept with the customer’, the tribunal heard.

And when she complained that another customer had behaved towards her in a sexualised manner she was advised to ignore this.

She told the Mail: ‘I am not a stiff person, I can take a joke and banter but there comes a point where it is just not funny and that line was crossed numerous times with East Anglian.

‘What was infuriating as well, was that I would complain but I would be dismissed and it would just continue. And you have to remember that at the time I was really young and I was the only woman on the team.

‘They obviously thought I was easy prey for them, but I wasn’t going to let them get away with it, I was taught to fight for what is right.’

These incidents happened despite the fact that she let them know that she had a boyfriend with whom she was in a long-term relationship,

She left after nine months of sexist torment and later complained to the firm.

After attempts at mediation failed, Ms Craigie then took her case to a tribunal in Watford last year and details of her claim emerged in a 54-page report which named Mr Goncalves as the primary protagonist.

According to the report obtained by the Daily Mail, as well as the graphic comment about her bottom, Goncalves told Ms Craigie: how ‘her clothes would show off her figure’ and remarks of this kind were typically made twice a week.

The sales team among whom the sexualised banter was shared was led by Ms Craigie’s line manager Filipe Goncalves. Pictured: Filipe with his fiancee

Molly worked with the men at East Anglia Home Improvements, a firm that describes itself as ‘the UK’s number one home improvement provider’ 

Ms Craigie told the tribunal that Mr Goncalves encouraged her to ‘flaunt herself and flirt with male customers in order to secure more sales’.

Mr Goncalves – who no longer works for the firm – denied Ms Craigie’s account was accurate and told the hearing of the bet claim: ‘This is simply a lie and I deny it was said or took place’.

However Judge Rebecca Peer wrote in her report: ‘The claimant’s evidence is clear that this comment was made, and it stuck with her and I accept this evidence, I find there is no reason not to find her credible as to this.’

But despite the tribunal accepting her version of events, Ms Craigie still lost on technical grounds because she brought her claim too late under time limit rules.

Ms Craigie said: ‘In essence the judge agreed with me but what’s worse is that the people involved are getting on with their lives as if nothing happened and I am the one who has been left to pick up the pieces.

‘When I read the judge’s report it was really disheartening – she believed it happened but there was nothing that could be done. The dark cloud is still hanging above me, it’s not really gone away.

‘I just feel as if they have got away with it despite what the judge said and they have faced no consequences. But in their heart of hearts they know the truth.’

Ms Craigie went on: ‘To hear him speak in such a degrading way to me made me feel sad.

‘At times I wanted to pull out and let the dust settle but I knew what I was saying was the truth and I had to stand up for myself and other women as well.’

‘I am a really proud person and I believe you should fight for what is right and that’s why I took this to a tribunal but the whole thing from start to finish was really demoralising.

‘They just didn’t care and the experience left me shell shocked, I suffer from anxiety and that just added to it as well.’

Ms Craigie said she had made more than £30,000 in commission during her nine months with Norwich based East Anglian – who describe themselves as the UK’s number one home improvement provider.

She added:’ This was a pretty good figure, and it was achieved through hard work.

‘I enjoy sales, I’m still working in sales, I like talking to people and I’m a good saleswoman, that’s why my commission was so good.

‘But they just felt the best way to get sales was by flirting with the customers and that’s not what I believe in, you should just be honest and get on with them, that’s what secures sales.’

She added:’ Three years down the line, this whole thing still haunts me. It was really degrading; I want people to judge me on my skills and all East Anglian could do was judge me on how I Iook and what I wore.

‘It was really disappointing to see how they viewed me as just an object when I was a successful saleswoman, I like to think I have a little bit of personality and its not what I look like or how I dress.

‘They claimed I was trying to control the narrative and made it up but if they thought I made this up to make a quick buck hey couldn’t be more wrong.

‘I just wanted to do what was right, I spoke the truth and I wanted to protect other females going into that company.

‘You would hope that in this day and age, people wouldn’t think like this, with all that’s going on in the world, and it makes it terrifying because you are not safe to be who you want to be.

‘If it wasn’t for the backing of my family, friends and partner, who have been incredible, I don’t know how I would have found the strength to go on.

‘Now I just want to put it behind me and get on with my life but I do feel sorry for those involved

Ms Craigie told the tribunal that Mr Goncalves encouraged her to ‘flaunt herself and flirt with male customers in order to secure more sales’

Three months after starting Ms Craigie, who was making over £3,000 a month in commission alone, learned of the crude bet about her

‘I feel really sad for them and just pray that no other young girls ever have to experience anything like that, and they are not judged on what they wear or look like but are judged on what is in their hearts.’

When contacted by the Daily Mail this week Mr Goncalves said: ‘I have no comment to make and I have no recollection of what she said. I’m at work, goodbye.’

Ms Craigie, from Cambridge, did win an unpaid holiday claim, and the firm was ordered to pay £4,775 while an attempt by the company to recover £7,500 in legal costs was dismissed.

East Anglian was also approached for comment.