British Airways Steward Wins £30,000 Payout After Unfair Dismissal

A former British Airways steward has been awarded nearly £30,000 for unfair dismissal after being sacked for allegedly making inappropriate remarks and touching a female colleague.

Charly Mateo, then 37, was dismissed in July 2024 following an incident on a flight where he was accused of asking a colleague if she wanted to join the 'mile-high club' and touching her leg while she was on a break. An investigation by the airline also found he had allegedly told her "sexual stories" about other women.

The employment tribunal in Reading found that British Airways did not conduct a sufficiently thorough investigation into the allegations, leading to the unfair dismissal ruling. Mr. Mateo was awarded £29,195, though his request for reinstatement was denied.

The tribunal heard that the complainant had expressed feeling "extremely uncomfortable" and that her privacy had been "totally invaded" by Mr. Mateo's actions. She stated she did not wish to work with him again.

British Airways maintained that it had a genuine belief that Mr. Mateo had engaged in harassment of a sexual nature, citing his conduct during a flight while not on duty as a crew member. Mr. Mateo had been employed by the airline from September 2018 until his dismissal in July 2024 and had a previously clean disciplinary record.

Employment Judge Anna Macey stated that the dismissal was substantively unfair due to the airline interviewing Mr. Mateo before obtaining a full account from the complainant and a lack of in-depth questioning regarding the alleged leg-touching. The judge concluded that Mr. Mateo's conduct was blameworthy and an invasion of privacy.

Despite the finding of unfair dismissal, the tribunal noted that reinstatement was not practicable as British Airways had lost trust and confidence in Mr. Mateo. The judge was satisfied that the airline had a genuine belief that the allegations, if true, represented serious harassment and that Mr. Mateo's actions were blameworthy.