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'Extremely inadequate' harassment damages increased by $129k

An employee who experienced "serious and repeated" s-xual harassment at work has won an extra $129k in damages, after a court found the original $10k awarded was "inadequate in the extreme".

In March last year, the Gumboots Australia employee won $10k in general damages after the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal found her manager had: slapped her on the buttocks on three occasions; made "vulgar" comments about her body; and tickled her while they were alone at work.

Senior Member Susan Burdon-Smith heard the conduct occurred between August 2019 and January 2020, and accepted it caused the employee stress and anxiety. However, she considered the employee's mental health prognosis was good, and declined to order special and aggravated damages.

The employee appealed the decision, arguing the damages awarded were "manifestly inadequate"...

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