A saleswoman who uncovered a sick bet by male colleagues, including her manager, on who would sleep with her first has seen her sexual harassment case dismissed – even though a judge ruled the wager was harassment.
‘Who Will Sleep With Her First?’ The Shocking Bet
Molly Craigie started her job at East Anglia Home Improvements in September 2022. Within two months, she found out two male colleagues had placed a wager on who would be the first to sleep with her, a tribunal in Watford heard.
The young saleswoman revealed the betting happened before her colleagues knew she was in a “long-term” and “committed” relationship. She told the tribunal: “It stuck with me as it was the first time I felt my colleagues, one of whom was a manager, sexualised me and singled me out, all down to my sex.”
Judge Rules Bet Was Sexual Harassment – But Case Dismissed on Technicality
Employment Judge Rebecca Peer admitted the wager was “unwanted conduct of a sexual nature.” Yet, she dismissed Ms Craigie’s complaint because it was brought “out of time” under strict employment law rules. Harassment claims generally must be filed within three months of the incident.
The judge also noted there was no evidence Ms Craigie had confronted anyone or tried to verify the betting claim at the time.
Company’s Defence and Ongoing Legal Battle Over Unpaid Holiday Pay
East Anglia Home Improvements, boasting itself as “the UK’s number one home improvement provider,” argued Ms Craigie was a self-employed contractor. They claimed this meant the tribunal had no jurisdiction, which helped their case.
During her time at the firm, Ms Craigie was told she’d been hired because she “would not intimidate elderly customers.” She quit in June 2023 and launched her tribunal claim shortly after.
While she lost the harassment claim, Ms Craigie won an unpaid holiday pay case. The tribunal ordered the company to pay her £4,775 — but the firm still refuses to hand over the cash.
East Anglia later tried to saddle her with £7,500 in legal costs, accusing her of making a “fanciful case” and applying for anonymity in bad faith. The tribunal rejected this cost claim for being submitted too late and deemed it would have failed anyway.
Harsh Reality: Legal Technicalities Can Overturn Justice
Molly Craigie remains out of pocket on her holiday pay, and her harassment case was dismissed despite the betting being ruled sexual harassment. This saga highlights how rigid time limits and technicalities in UK employment law can prevent justice, even when wrongdoing is clearly proven.
