A worker fired after giving his boss a Benny-Hill style slap on the head at a works night out to promote team building and bonding has won his unfair sacking claim and almost £2,000 compensation. Derick Brown, 49, from Dundee, a team leader in the stores department of Tokheim UK, had been forewarned by customer services manager Robert Fraser not to give him a 'hard time' at the event. A Dundee employment tribunal heard his employers, who supply fuel dispensing equipment, hosted a night out for workers and their partners in November 2005, providing each with a voucher to be exchanged for drinks at the bar and a half bottle of wine per person at the table. Mr Brown and some workmates were watching a boxing match on TV in the bar. One of the contestants was bald, and the tribunal noted in that respect may have looked similar to Mr Fraser. The contestant looked like a character from a Benny Hill comedy sketch, during which Benny Hill pats or slaps a bald man on the head. Mr Brown suggested that he would give Mr Fraser "a Benny Hill" and he was encouraged to do so. He then returned to the table where Mr Fraser was sitting with his wife and patted or slapped him on the head from behind. Mr Fraser had been unaware of his presence until then and told him he would "see" him on Monday morning. Mr Brown admitted he was intoxicated and at his disciplinary hearing he said it was a drunken prank, not an assault, but accepted his behaviour was totally unacceptable. Goosey's Gabbings... Things to remember when you're drunk: 1)You can't dance 2) You're not that charming. 3) The woman eyeing you isn't pretty. 4)You are not that funny. 5) Any type of physical contact is not wanted by anyone, including your friends, family, and significant other.
technorati tags:news, odd, bizarre, weird, quirky, strange, benny-hill, funny, humor, bald, offbeat, offbeat-news, united-kingdom, comedy, funny-humor, lawsuits Blogged with Flock Labels: bald, benny hill, bizarre, comedy, funny, funny humor, humor, lawsuits, news, odd, offbeat, offbeat news, quirky, strange, united kingdom, weird |
