Misogyny at work: $44K awarded to woman taunted by boss for 'menopause' problems
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Karen Farquharson, a Scottish woman, has received compensation exceeding $44,664 (approximately ₹37 lakh) after her employer accused her of using menopause as a constant "excuse" to skip work.
Having been employed at the engineering firm Thistle Marine since 1995, with an annual salary of around $46,000, Farquharson ultimately resigned from her position.
Jim Clark, the managing director of Thistle Marine, located in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, reportedly dismissed Farquharson's medical condition, urging her to "just get on with it," as reported by BBC. Farquharson decided to take legal action against the company, citing unfair dismissal and harassment. She described her 72-year-old boss as a "dinosaur" who resisted change.
Disappointment and frustration
At the age of 49, Farquharson expressed her profound disappointment with the company she had been a part of for 27 years. She stated, "They treated me like rubbish. Mr. Clark didn't like change. He didn't like being challenged on things. He didn't move with the times. I tried to explain some issues in what you can say and what you can't say, and it just fell on deaf ears." She also revealed that Clark often referred to employees who took sick leave as 'snowflakes'.
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Legal proceedings
Clark, the founder of Thistle Marine in the late 1970s, appeared before the tribunal in Aberdeen. In August 2021, Farquharson informed Clark about her menopausal symptoms, including anxiety, loss of concentration, and brain fog. In December 2022, she worked from home for two days due to heavy snowfall and menopausal bleeding. Upon her return to the office the following day around 2 pm, Clark made a sarcastic remark, saying, "Oh, I see you've made it in."
Farquharson explained her situation, but Clark dismissed her symptoms, claiming that everyone experiences "aches and pains." During the tribunal, Clark insisted that his comments were innocent and accused Farquharson of seeking money for her upcoming wedding.
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The panel acknowledged Clark as a "blunt, self-made man and successful businessman" with "many admirable qualities" but observed a lack of empathy. They concluded, "It became clear to us that he has little time or respect for those, unlike himself, who are not able to work as hard or without illness as he has."
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