Compliance engineer wins harassment claim after colleague entered her home uninvited

A home visit that went too far

This case shows how conduct that occurs outside the workplace can still give rise to harassment claims. The claimant, a compliance engineer working as a contractor for Jaguar Land Rover, was off sick when a male colleague, Mr Cramp, entered her home without permission while she was in the shower. He left when asked, but later sent flowers to her home with a card reading 'You are loved'. Another colleague, Mr Dunn, sent an offensive text and then persistently called and visited her home to retrieve a phone charger.

The tribunal found that these actions – the uninvited entry, the flowers, and the persistent calling/visiting – amounted to harassment related to sex. The unwanted conduct had a sexual connotation or created an intimidating environment. The fact that the claimant was a contractor with only seven months' service did not prevent her from succeeding.

What the employer could have done differently

Jaguar Land Rover had already decided to terminate the claimant's contract for cost reasons before the shower incident. However, the tribunal noted that the employer did not take sufficient steps to address the harassment. The claimant had reported the shower incident to the police and later to management, but the employer did not investigate or take disciplinary action against Mr Cramp or Mr Dunn. A more proactive response – such as suspending the alleged harassers, conducting a proper investigation, or offering support – might have prevented the escalation and the subsequent claim.

Why this matters for similar claims

This case is a reminder that harassment claims can succeed even when the conduct happens outside work hours and away from the workplace. The key is whether the conduct is 'related to' a protected characteristic – here, sex. The tribunal found that entering a woman's home while she is in the shower is inherently related to her sex, and sending flowers with a message like 'You are loved' could be seen as an unwelcome romantic advance. For employees and contractors, it shows that unwanted attention from colleagues can be challenged. For employers, it highlights the need to take all complaints seriously, even if the alleged harasser is not a direct employee (Mr Cramp was also a contractor).