AIBU to be disgusted but not at all shocked by this "reprimand" for a Partner at a Big 4 firm

[Tamrastarr]

An EY accountant who told a female trainee that he would be “bashing [her] from behind” on a company skiing trip kept his job despite a tribunal ruling that he had behaved in an “obscene and aggressive” way, including telling her at lunch “I’m going to f* you”.

Neil Hutt, 51, a partner at the company, left the woman “shocked and disappointed” on the annual ski trip in 2019. After telling an internal investigation that he had “taken a joke too far” he was fined £75,000 and agreed to attend diversity training.

Yes, I worked in similar industry and had partners and directors regularly propositioning juniors. Some went further, and I understand this may be consensual, but most were married and not really a professional way to act. I also remember a drunk female senior basically groping a female junior member of staff on the dance floor at a function. 100% unwanted attention, witnessed by many. What happened? The partners decided they would no longer pay for alcohol at work functions even though it was the partners that behaved badly!

I googled to see what he looks like and found this article he wrote: 'Are retailers out of touch with their consumers?

I look forward to his next article 'Am I, a filthy sex pest, out of touch with what is deemed appropriate behaviour in a modern workplace? But will I get away with it anyway?'

I spent a few years at EY and this behaviour and (lack of) consequences doesn’t surprise me in the slightest. It was the most revoltingly misogynistic place I have ever had the misfortune to work. Female staff were treated abominably. Sexual harassment and sexually aggressive behaviour was the norm and women were repeatedly and openly overlooked for promotion because of their sex. I have several friends who have settlement agreements with them and all contain draconian confidentiality clauses. They’ll pay huge sums to get women who have experienced shitty behaviour but only if you agree to total silence afterwards.

I should say that there have been attempts to deal with it, particularly by Steve Varley, but a culture that ingrained will never change.

It sounds rife

Where is your op pasted from Tamra?

Wondering how this one got out into public

As a partner I don't believe he can be sacked. He is basically an owner of the firm.

While that is the case he will have signed the partnership agreement (the document that creates the partnership which all new partners have to sign) and that is bound to have a clause in to the effect that he will resign if asked to in certain circumstances. Bringing the firm into disrepute will be one of them so they can get rid of him if they want to. My guess is that they have waited for the outcome of the ICAEW investigation and will now start on their internal procedures to get rid.

@MarshaBradyo I think it was from The Independent but it was also in the Metro yesterday and all over the Internet. I think it actually happened a few years ago but it has taken this long for the professional standards to reach a conclusion.

I agree that it will be extremely difficult for him to continue after this. I just feel so sorry for women that this happens to. Work hard, get a great job, get sexually harassed and either keep your mouth shut and get on with it, or speak up and see nothing of any degree happen to the perpetrator.

When I first started work I had male peers tell me that partners used to ask them to rate female staff on looks etc and also make lewd comments to the male juniors about the female staff. Leading by example!!

This is unsurprising as I worked there and remember the day a SM left mysteriously - turns out he had raped a colleague at a social event the night before.

I know Neil. He’s married with children and his eldest has just gone off to Uni. The girl he harassed is only a few years older. Disgusting.

Disgusting

Utterly foul but doesn't surprise me at all. I qualified at a Big 4 firm and harassment was rampant. There was a huge drinking culture and many of the male, married partners used to get absolutely hammered and grope the juniors on nights out. The seniors used to go through the photos of the joining female graduates and rank them on attractiveness with only the fittest taken on the prestige away jobs to New York, Dubai etc.

If that sounds bitter it wasn't meant to be. The thought of spending 12 hours a day stuck in an audit room with a complete creep and then in a strange city alone with a complete weirdo who really wants to shag you really never appealled..