Scottish Woman Wins Rs 37 Lakh Payout Over Boss' Menopause Comments

A woman from Scotland has won more than 37,000 pounds (approximately Rs 37 lakh) in compensation after her boss said that she uses menopause as an "excuse for everything". Karen Farquharson worked at the engineering firm Thistle Marine since 1995 and was earning 38,000 pounds before she quit. 

Ms. Farquharson's boss Jim Clark, managing director of Thistle Marine, in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire dismissed her medical problem and told her to "just get on with it," BBC reported. 

She sued the company for unfair dismissal and harassment. She described her 72-year-old boss as a "dinosaur" who didn't move with time.

The 49-year-old said, "I had known this company for 27 years and 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."

The mother of two also said that the boss would "often refer to employees who were off sick as 'snowflakes'".

Mr Clark founded Thistle Marine in the late 1970s. The tribunal in Aberdeen heard the case. 

In August 2021, the woman told her boss that she had menopause symptoms. She was suffering from anxiety, loss of concentration and brain fog. 

In December 2022, she worked from home for two days,  first due to heavy snow and then because of her menopausal bleeding. A day later, she arrived in the office at around 2 p.m.

She passed Mr Clark in the corridor and he spoke to her in a sarcastic tone, "Oh, I see you've made it in."

Ms Farquharson explained her situation. The tribunal heard that Mr Clark gave her a "disgusted look". The 49-year-old was upset and angry at the implication and decided to confront Mr Clark. 

Mr Clark dismissed her menopausal symptoms and said everybody has "aches and pains."

At the tribunal, Mr Clark said that the remarks were "innocent" and said that Ms Farquharson was trying to get money ahead of her wedding. 

The panel said, "Jim Clark can best be described as a blunt, self-made man and successful businessman. He no doubt has many admirable qualities but empathy for others is not among them.

"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."

"His remarks to Ms Farquharson violated her dignity", the panel concluded.