Long-term friend and accounts manager wins sex discrimination claim over 'pretty women' WhatsApp message
A tribunal upheld one claim of direct sex discrimination after an accounts manager was told a client 'likes pretty women', but dismissed her constructive dismissal and other claims.
2 min read · Last updated 19 May 2026
Case details
- #long-term-friendship
- #blurred-boundaries
- #restructuring
- #pretty-women-comment
- #constructive-dismissal-claim-dismissed
- #whistleblowing-claim-dismissed
Key facts
- The claimant worked for the respondent as an administrator in 2012 and returned in May 2018 as a self-employed contractor.
- The claimant became an employee on 6 February 2020, but the tribunal later found she was an employee from May 2018.
- The claimant resigned on 5 May 2021 after a dispute over a proposed restructuring of the invoicing team.
- The tribunal found that the claimant was not constructively dismissed and that the final straw email from Mr Bruce was innocuous.
- The tribunal upheld one claim of direct sex discrimination regarding the 'pretty women' comment made by Adam Crouch on 8 April 2021.
- All other claims of discrimination, harassment, and whistleblowing detriment were dismissed.
Timeline
-
Claimant starts work as self-employed
The claimant agreed to work for the respondent on a self-employed basis, invoicing for her work.
-
Claimant becomes Accounts Manager
The claimant was appointed Accounts Manager and issued an ID card with that title.
-
Claimant becomes employee
The claimant became an employee of the respondent on an annual salary of £60,000.
-
Pretty women comment
Adam Crouch sent a WhatsApp message saying the claimant should attend a meeting because a client 'likes pretty women'.
-
Restructuring proposal
The respondent proposed a restructuring of the invoicing team, which the claimant felt undermined her role.
-
First resignation
The claimant resigned but withdrew her resignation after discussions with Adam Crouch.
-
Final straw and resignation
The claimant resigned after an email from Michael Bruce, which she considered undermining, and gave an ultimatum to dismiss Bruce.
-
Contact with Action Fraud
The claimant contacted Action Fraud alleging fraud by the respondent.
-
Contact with police
The claimant contacted Cambridgeshire Police via webchat about the alleged fraud.
-
Claimant arrested
The claimant was arrested by police for refusing to return company computers, but was released when she agreed to hand them over.
The legal issue
The tribunal had to decide whether the claimant was constructively unfairly dismissed, whether she suffered direct sex discrimination, sexual harassment, harassment related to sex, and whistleblowing detriment, and whether she made protected disclosures.
The outcome
The tribunal upheld one claim of direct sex discrimination regarding the 'pretty women' comment made by Adam Crouch on 8 April 2021. All other claims, including constructive unfair dismissal, sexual harassment, harassment related to sex, and whistleblowing detriment, were dismissed.
- The claimant was not constructively dismissed because the final straw email from Michael Bruce was innocuous and did not breach the implied term of trust and confidence.
- The 'pretty women' comment was found to be direct sex discrimination, but no compensation was awarded as the tribunal did not specify damages (damages_gbp: null).
Lessons & takeaways
- Even casual comments about appearance can amount to direct sex discrimination if they are linked to gender.
- A long-standing friendship with the employer does not prevent a discrimination claim, but it may affect the tribunal's view of the working relationship.
- To succeed in a constructive dismissal claim, the employee must show a fundamental breach of contract by the employer; an innocuous email will not suffice.
- Whistleblowing claims require a protected disclosure in the public interest; internal disputes about restructuring are unlikely to qualify.
When a friendship blurs the lines
This case shows how a close personal friendship between an employee and a company director can create blurred boundaries that later become the subject of legal dispute. The claimant, an accounts manager with three years' service, had been a long-term friend of the managing director, Adam Crouch. She initially worked as a self-employed contractor before becoming an employee in February 2020. The tribunal found that the friendship meant there was no obvious imbalance of power at the start, but that did not prevent a discrimination claim from succeeding.
The 'pretty women' comment
The key incident that succeeded was a WhatsApp message sent by Adam Crouch on 8 April 2021, saying the claimant should attend a meeting because a client 'likes pretty women'. The tribunal found this was direct sex discrimination. It was a clear example of a comment that would not have been made to a male employee, and it linked the claimant's value to her appearance rather than her professional skills. The respondent could have avoided this by ensuring all managers understand that comments about an employee's appearance, even if intended as a joke, can be discriminatory.
Why the other claims failed
The claimant also argued she was constructively dismissed after a restructuring proposal and an email from another manager, Michael Bruce. However, the tribunal found that the email was innocuous and did not breach the implied term of trust and confidence. The claimant had also made allegations of whistleblowing, but the tribunal found she had not made a protected disclosure in the public interest – her complaints were about her own role and the restructuring, not a wider wrongdoing.
What this means for similar claims
This case is a reminder that discrimination claims can succeed even when the claimant has a close relationship with the employer, and even when other claims fail. However, constructive dismissal remains a high bar – the employee must show a fundamental breach of contract, not just a disagreement over restructuring. For anyone considering a similar claim, it is important to gather evidence of any discriminatory comments and to seek legal advice on whether the conduct amounts to a breach of contract.
Similar cases
Head of School with depression suffered disability discrimination over disciplinary delays
A tribunal found that a school trust failed to make reasonable adjustments for a head of school with depression and anxiety, by not providing timeframes for a disciplinary process or reviewing her suspension. Her constructive dismissal claim was rejected.
Dismissed for breaching a COT3 agreement: tribunal finds employer's belief unreasonable
A Customer Care Assistant with 10 years' service was unfairly dismissed after being accused of breaching a COT3 settlement agreement. The tribunal awarded £9,074, but applied a 50% Polkey reduction.
Redundancy dismissal and victimisation claims fail: law enforcement officer loses tribunal case
A law enforcement officer with four years' service was fairly dismissed by redundancy and his claims of race and age discrimination, harassment, and victimisation were dismissed by the tribunal.
Dismissed for dishonest account after collision: mobile patrol officer loses unfair dismissal claim
A mobile patrol officer who gave a dishonest account of a collision while using his mobile phone and not wearing a seatbelt has lost his unfair dismissal claim against G4S Secure Solutions (UK) Ltd.