‘Auntie’ remark by nurse of Ghanaian heritage leads to harassment ruling

A UK employment tribunal has awarded compensation to a healthcare assistant after ruling that she was subjected to harassment by a colleague of Ghanaian heritage who repeatedly addressed her as “auntie”, despite her objections.

The tribunal found that Ilda Esteves, 61, had been harassed on the grounds of age and sex while working at the West London NHS Trust, where she was employed in Women’s Forensic Services.

Her colleague, Charles Oppong, a nurse of Ghanaian background, defended his actions by stating that the term “auntie” is widely used in Ghanaian culture as a sign of respect for older women. However, the tribunal ruled that the continued use of the term after Ms Esteves had asked him to stop created an offensive working environment.

The tribunal heard that Ms Esteves had repeatedly asked Mr Oppong to address her by name, but he persisted. She also raised concerns about comments suggesting she would be a “good match” for an older colleague, which she found inappropriate.

In a formal complaint submitted in September 2023, Ms Esteves wrote: “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.”

Mr Oppong admitted to using the term once but denied repeated use, maintaining it was intended as a respectful form of address rooted in his Ghanaian cultural background. However, Employment Judge George Alliott rejected his account, describing his evidence as unreliable.

“He was reluctant to acknowledge that there was a George working on his ward, he claimed not to know George’s age and would not give an estimate, he did not remember how many shifts he may have worked with [Ms Esteves]... We found him evasive and vague,” the judge said.

“We find that Charles Oppong probably did refer to [Ms Esteves] as auntie on a number of occasions and probably did make the comment about her being a match for an older colleague. We find that Charles Oppong, as a staff nurse responsible for leading the teams, should not have made such comments.

“We find that Charles Oppong’s purpose was probably an offensive attempt at humour. We find that [Ms Esteves] did perceive it as creating an offensive environment.

“We find that the circumstances of the comments being made in the office and in the corridor and at handover were such that it had the effect of creating an offensive environment. We find that it was reasonable for the comments to have that effect.

“Consequently, [her] claim of harassment on this ground succeeds.”

The tribunal acknowledged that the term “auntie” carries cultural significance, noting that it is “in fact, a term of respect in Ghanaian culture”, but concluded that its use against Ms Esteves’s wishes made it inappropriate in the workplace.

Ms Esteves was awarded £1,425 in compensation. Her additional claims of harassment, discrimination, victimisation and unlawful deduction of wages were dismissed.