A police officer sued for sex harassment after his colleague called him 'Dolly Parton' because he only worked nine to five. PC Stephen Knox complained after the other PC whistled the country singer's hit song '9 To 5' at him at their station.
His fellow officer even printed out A4-sized photographs of the American star's face and plastered them over PC Knox's computer and desk, an employment tribunal heard. PC Knox had changed his shift patterns to suit his childcare needs but following the 'banter' by the officer, named only as PC Rylands at the tribunal, he complained it amounted to sexual harassment.
The long-serving Merseyside Police officer took the force to tribunal, but now the four-year legal battle has come to an end. The father of four's claim of sex harassment over the Dolly Parton jibe was thrown out as he submitted it too late.
However, Liverpool-based PC Knox won over £12,000 after he won separate claims of victimisation and disability harassment. Parton, now aged 76, wrote her hit '9 to 5' for the 1980 comedy film of the same name and it was released as a single that year.
The Liverpool Employment Tribunal heard PC Knox was teased by PC Rylands between November 2016 and January 2017 when the pair - who were friends - were based at Speke Police Station in Liverpool. PC Knox previously worked a specific rota to suit his childcare needs and he also had to provide daily care for his disabled mother following the death of his father.
In November 2016, PC Knox was informed his application to transfer to Huyton Police Station, Merseyside, was successful, and that his application to work nine to five at the station was also successful. A tribunal report said: "It struck [PC Rylands] as remarkable that PC Knox had been able to secure a nine to five shift pattern within the Target Team.
"PC Rylands started teasing PC Knox good-naturedly, by making references to the famous Dolly Parton song, '9 To 5'. "He whistled the song in PC Knox's presence and printed a picture of Dolly Parton to which he added the words 'nine to five' and placed it on his workstation."
It was heard the pair were friends and PC Rylands was 'pleased' for his colleague. The report added: "Initially, at least, PC Knox accepted PC Rylands’ jokes as well-intentioned 'banter'.
"PC Knox never directly challenged PC Rylands about his behaviour. At the very highest, PC Knox's evidence is that he would leave the room or not enter it if PC Rylands was there."
After moving to Huyton in January 2017, PC Knox felt out of place due to his work rota clashing with his colleagues and his mental health plummeted. In February 2017 he was signed off work on a lengthy period of sick leave. He was later diagnosed with depression, anxiety, and features of PTSD.
While he was off work, PC Knox made a series of allegations relating to discrimination. In October 2017, when he had poor mental health, he received an 'intimidating' email threatening him with disciplinary procedures if he failed to attend his scheduled return to work date.
This amounted to disability harassment, the tribunal panel concluded, as it needlessly made him 'feel fearful for the future of his employment and severely distressed'. Also while off sick, he repeatedly requested backlogs of his work patterns, emails, and access to his work diaries - but they were constantly delayed and he received 'dismissive' emails about them.
These incidents amounted to victimisation, the panel concluded. His other claims, including sex harassment for the Dolly Parton incident, were dismissed as they were presented too late or without merit.
Merseyside Police accepted PC Rylands behaved as alleged but PC Rylands denied calling his colleague 'Dolly Parton'. PC Knox won £12,080 for his successful claims. He argued he should be awarded a total of £231,000.
He appealed to have the £12,080 fee reconsidered, but the tribunal has now refused the application. PC Knox, thought to have worked for Merseyside Police for 15 years, is said to have a 'deep sense of mistrust in the force'.
He claimed he was 'bullied by Merseyside Police and humiliated due to wanting to work on a fixed rota so that he could act as a carer to his mother and participate in the lives of his young children'.
