Male shop assistant sues after he claims 68-year-old female colleague slapped his bottom

A male sales assistant at John Lewis had his bottom slapped three times by a 68-year-old female colleague who told him when he complained: “I do it to all the boys”, a tribunal heard yesterday. Konstantinos Kalomoiris, 40, claims Bianca Revrenna touched his behind on the shop floor and in the changing rooms at the flagship store on London’s Oxford Street. The furniture department worker told an employment tribunal that each time he was slapped the pensioner, who has worked at John Lewis for 40 years, paused for a few seconds “like she was savouring it”. When he told her to stop he claimed she replied: “I do that to all the boys.”

Mr Kalomoiris, who says he resigned from his job as a result of the slapping, is claiming sexual discrimination. Mr Kalomoiris, who began working at the store in 2006, complained to his manager after the third incident last April, saying he “couldn’t take it anymore”. He claims he was told that he should be “delighted” a female colleague liked him enough to slap his bottom. He brought his claim to the Central London Employment Tribunal after colleagues at John Lewis laughed at him and told him he was “too sensitive”. The retail assistant, who is representing himself, said Ms Revrenna first slapped his bottom when they were in the staff locker room in October 2009.



He said he told her not to do it again and there was no apology but he decided not to take the matter any further. The tribunal heard Ms Revrenna struck again in December 2009 when the pair were working together in the store’s Christmas Shop. Describing a scene similar to Grace Brothers in classic sitcom Are You Being Served?, he said: “Bianca slapped my bum again. I repeated to her not to do that. I said ‘I’ve told you before’. She said she always did that to the boys and that she didn’t mean anything by it.” He added: “Every time she did it she would pause for a couple of seconds like she was savouring it. It was like she enjoyed it.”

After the third alleged slapping incident on the shop floor in April 2010 Mr Kalomoiris took his complaint to management, but said he “could not believe” the response he got. He said: “My manager said I should be delighted that a colleague liked me enough to slap my bum. He said if a woman slapped his bottom, he would not be offended at all. I was told I was too sensitive.” Lawyers for John Lewis said Ms Revrenna had an ‘unblemished career’ record and had never had a complaint made against her. They said Ms Revrenna denied ever slapping Mr Kalomoiris’ behind and claimed she had only ever touched his lower back in reassurance after a customer complained about him. The tribunal continues.