Croydon judge rules air-kissing is not sexual harassment

[IwantToRetire]

Ruling came at tribunal that dismissed claim by Brighton whisky bar worker that her manager harassed her
https://www.theguardian.com/law/2025/jan/08/judge-rules-air-kissing-is-not-sexual-harassment

The Guardian seems to have treated this as a "light" story.

From a longer article in Personnel Today it would seems there was a back ground to this, which means (unlike the implication in the Guardian) that this is just about social etiquette.

https://www.personneltoday.com/hr/air-kiss-did-not-amount-to-sexual-harassment/

Everyone wanting an excuse to feel insulted.

There seems to be a complicated back story to this which the judge heard about in detail, and I obviously didn't. The decision might make sense in the context of this specific case - for instance, the hug that preceded the air kiss doesn't seem to have been objected to.

But somebody has to get very physically close to you to 'administer' a mwah mwah air kiss, and 'sexual harassment' means being harassed because of your sex, not that the act of harassment has to be sexual in nature ; it also doesn't have to involve physical contact. [that's the law in Ireland, anyway, maybe the UK is different].

So I hope this ruling isn't interpreted as meaning that an unwanted air kiss, which does not involve physical contact, and which Judge Perry has said does not amount to sexual harassment, is an acceptable part of workplace behaviour.

So I hope this ruling isn't interpreted as meaning that an unwanted air kiss, which does not involve physical contact, and which Judge Perry has said does not amount to sexual harassment, is an acceptable part of workplace behaviour.

Yes this is partly why I posted, as by reporting it just to be about an air kiss doesn't deal with what seems to have been a history of being exploited as an employee, and overt sexism.

Isn't it funny that when there is a story about a woman experiencing problems at work, it isn't taken seriously. Just an opportunity to have a bit of a giggle.

Maybe the judge deliberately misunderstood.