Gay waiter wins £21,500 over harassment
A gay waiter at one of London’s Michelin-starred restaurants has won £21,500 after colleagues subjected him to anti-gay taunts.
Vincent Ma, 31, who worked at Yauatcha Chinese restaurant in Soho, had his nipples tweaked by a customer and saw two male managers simulating sex in front of him.
He said that when he complained to a manager about the nipple tweaking, he was told: “Did you like it?”
He also reported hearing crude jokes about his sexuality.
Mr Ma accused the company of harassment on the grounds of sexual orientation and constructive dismissal.
Yesterday, a London employment tribunal agreed and awarded him the payout for for lost earnings and injury to feelings.
Speaking outside court, Mr Ma said: “Hakkasan [which owns Yauatcha] will pay the money to me and for them it will solve the problem.
“But I do not think they have learnt any lesson from what happened to me.”
