Man awarded R25,000 after manager likened his private part to a fingerette in front of female colleagues

R25,000 awarded to employee after inappropriate remark by manager.

The Labour Court in Johannesburg has reduced the compensation awarded to a warehouse employee who was sexually harassed by his manager, finding that while the incident amounted to unfair discrimination, the original award of R100,000 was excessive.

This comes after the warehouse manager publicly mocked a male employee by comparing the size of his penis to a fingerette in front of female colleagues. A fingerette is a small rubber cap worn on the fingertips to improve grip when counting money, sorting documents, or turning pages.

Acting Judge Mendel Sass dismissed some parts of an appeal brought by Easybranch (Pty) Ltd but upheld the company's challenge to the amount of compensation awarded by a Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) commissioner.

The employee will now receive R25,000, equivalent to approximately four and a half months' gross remuneration, instead of the original R100,000.