Woman back in job after sex romp !!!!!!

[Daanyeer]

Source: News.com.au
August 13, 2007 Author: Ewin Hannan



TELSTRA has been ordered to reinstate and pay compensation to a female worker sacked over an alleged drunken sex romp at a hotel following an after-hours staff function.
Telstra sacked Carlie Streeter after claiming she sexually harassed three female colleagues by having sex with two men, on two different occasions, just metres from where they were sleeping on a hotel room floor.

Telstra said Ms Streeter had also sexually harassed another female employee because she was naked in the hotel bath with two Telstra male workers in the presence of the employee.

The incidents occurred in the early hours of February 25 following a belated Christmas party attended by staff from the Telstra retail outlet at Westfield Shopping Town in Miranda in Sydney's south.

Organised by Telstra employee Daniela Hyett, the group met at Northies pub in neighbouring Cronulla before going to the nearby Naked Grape restaurant. A room at Rydges hotel was booked and four staff planned to stay overnight.

After the party, three female staff checked into the room and went to sleep around 1am. Two male employees and a former Miranda employee arrived shortly afterwards, and got in the bath together.

The commission heard that Ms Streeter then arrived, appearing "very drunk" according to evidence from one staff member to the Industrial Relations Commission.

The commission heard that the three women went back to sleep, with one later waking up to find Ms Streeter having sex with Aakash Sharma, another shop employee.

After 10 minutes, they went to the bathroom and were heard again having sex.

Ms Hyett gave evidence that she separately woke up and needed to go the toilet but the bathroom door was locked. She was let in by Ms Streeter and found Mr Sharma and the store manager, Steve Hatzistergos, naked in the bath. Ms Streeter got back in the bath naked while Ms Hyett was on the toilet. Ms Hyett said she felt very embarrassed and had "stage fright" as the trio were watching.

Telstra management subsequently investigated the conduct, terminating Ms Streeter's employment for reasons including that she sexually harassed the female employees by having sex in the room and being in the bath with the two males, and failing to treat Ms Hyett with respect by being present while she urinated.

Telstra asserted Ms Streeter's conduct was an indecent act under the NSW Crimes Act. It suggested she had committed a "criminal act of obscenity".

Last Friday, the commission ruled Ms Streeter had been unjustly sacked. While the employees were upset by Ms Streeter's conduct, the commission found it was not enough to constitute sexual harassment.

The sexual conduct took place in a hotel room, with the lights out, in the early hours of the morning, when Ms Streeter thought the other employees were asleep, the commission found. Most of the conduct occurred well away from the workplace, after rather than during a work function, and in a hotel room that was booked and paid for privately.

The commission found Ms Streeter had dishonestly answered questions during the investigation, but "on the whole ... was a woman 'more sinned against than sinning"'.

Telstra was ordered to re-employ Ms Streeter at another retail outlet and pay compensation equal to any remuneration lost as a result of her sacking.

Ms Streeter's father said yesterday his daughter - who had moved out of the family home into a unit - had been warned not to speak to the media.

Additional reporting: Nicola Berkovic