A Tesco manager was unfairly dismissed after buying a female colleague a vibrator as part of a "secret Santa" present and a dildo for her birthday, an employment tribunal has ruled.
Shoaib Razaq gifted a vibrator to a female colleague as a Christmas gift at a Peterborough Tesco branch, the court heard.
Razaq was sacked as store manager for gross misconduct after it was decided that he had "abused his position of trust".
The decision was made despite the woman acknowledging that the manager had given it to her in a "joking manner".
Shoaib Razaq gifted a vibrator to a female colleague as a Christmas gift at a Peterborough Tesco branch, the court heard
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The court was told that other staff members also gave out sex toys.
A judge ruled that Tesco chiefs failed to take "basic steps" while investigating Razaq who successfully sued for unfair dismissal and race discrimination.
It is likely that the former manager's compensation will be reduced after the tribunal found that his termination was partly due to his act of gifting the vibrator.
Razaq began working at the supermarket in 2020 before he became a store manager at the Hampton Vale Express branch.
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An employee raised a grievance against Razaq, who was married.
It was alleged that Razaq had encouraged staff to sit on his lap in the office and that he took money from the shop’s charity tins — allegations that he denied.
A separate employee claimed that the manager had "messed about with young girls in the office" and bought a female worker an inappropriate toy for her birthday.
The woman told Tesco bosses who were investigating the allegations that "we all had random gifts; butt plugs and dildos were bought, but this was done in a joking manner".
When challenged about the secret Santa gift, Razaq described it as a terrible decision.
A judge ruled that Tesco chiefs failed to take 'basic steps' while investigating Razaq who successfully sued for unfair dismissal and race discrimination
GETTY IMAGESHe told the tribunal that he was the victim of a "witch hunt" and that one person who put forward a grievance was a racist.
The manager was sacked for harassment and bullying.
The tribunal judge, Niran de Silva KC, determined that the Tesco chiefs had inadequately examined the misconduct accusations and showed minimal regard for the specific allegations against the store manager.
The judge concluded that irrespective of the validity of the disciplinary allegations, no reasonable employer would have responded in such a manner.
