A Scots financial adviser has won an unfair dismissal case after he was accused of sexually touching a female colleague following a boozy work meal at a Marco Pierre White restaurant.
Glasgow-based Alan Fraser was alleged to have touched the woman when they returned to a hotel after an evening at the chef’s flagship Birmingham restaurant.
His colleague alleged the experienced financial consultant touched her ‘intimately’ four times while they sat at a high table at the bar – with other co-workers there too.
Mr Fraser confessed he was so drunk during the company ‘reward and recognition’ evening that he had no memory of events.
He was sacked from Wesleyan Financial Services for gross misconduct, with bosses finding he ‘committed an act which would be considered sexual assault’.
But now, he has successfully sued for unfair dismissal after it was found the investigation into his alleged conduct was not ‘fair’ and was ‘biased’ against him.
In May, 2024, Mr Fraser, who worked from home, was invited to a ‘reward and recognition’ event at the company headquarters in Birmingham.
The woman who made the accusations against him was named only as ‘Ms A’.
The financial adviser confessed he was so drunk during the company ‘reward and recognition’ evening that he had no memory of events
The tribunal heard: ‘After dinner, a group of six, including Mr Fraser and Ms A… continued to drink in the hotel bar at approximately 1.30am.’
It was alleged Mr Fraser had ‘touched Ms A intimately while they had all been sitting at a high table in Malmaison’.
The other witnesses claimed they did not see him do anything – except one who said he touched Ms A’s shoulder.
After an investigation, Mr Fraser was sacked. The case went to an employment tribunal where the unfair dismissal claim succeeded due to flaws in the process to sack him.
Employment Judge Sally Cowen said bosses relied on an investigation which was not fair or unbiased.
Mr Fraser’s compensation has not been determined.
