Courts / Dublin / Report
Circle K worker told to 'be a man' and supervise cleaning faeces awarded €1k
Summary
Siddarth Thirunavukkarasu, a shop supervisor at Circle K's Belgard filling station in Tallaght, brought a complaint under the Employment Equality Act 1998 alleging gender‑based harassment after his manager, Julita Howe, allegedly told him to "be a man" and forced him to supervise a homeless man cleaning a bathroom that had been contaminated with faeces. Thirunavukkarasu claimed he was made to watch the homeless man clean the toilet with bare hands, was threatened with Garda reporting if he did not comply, and was instructed to give the man gloves and a blue towel while holding the door open. He reported nausea and discomfort from the smell and refused to continue, but Howe allegedly replied "Come on, be a man." The Workplace Relations Commission found no evidence of discrimination or victimisation but accepted that the remark constituted harassment, ordering Circle K to pay €1,000 in compensation.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Circle K worker told to 'be a man' and supervise cleaning faeces awarded €1k. Procedural stage: hearing_or_decision
When:
- 14 May 2024 Other
- September 2024 Other
- 2025-07-02 Publication
Why: The complainant said he was experiencing "nausea" because of the smell, and that his discomfort was heightened when he saw the homeless man "handling the mess with his bare hands". CNI source report
Case subjects
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