Pc working 9 to 5 sues force over Dolly Parton song ‘slur’

A POLICE officer sued for sexual harassment after claiming his colleague called him “Dolly Parton” because he only worked nine to five.

Pc Stephen Knox complained after a fellow officer whistled the tune of the singer’s 1980 hit for office workers when they were based at Speke police station in Liverpool.

His colleague, known only as Pc Rylands at the tribunal, even printed out photographs of Parton’s face and stuck them over Pc Knox’s computer and desk, the tribunal heard.

The father-of-four had previously worked a specific rota to suit his childcare needs and he also had to provide daily care for his disabled mother following the death of his father.

In November 2016, Pc Knox was informed his application to transfer to Huyton police station and work from 9am to 5pm had been successful.

The hearing was told Pc Rylands found it “remarkable” that his friend, Pc Knox, had been able to secure a fixed rota pattern and began to tease him about it “good-naturedly”.

“Initially, at least, Pc Knox accepted Pc Rylands’s jokes as well-intentioned “banter”, the Liverpool tribunal was told.

However, Pc Knox later complained it amounted to sexual harassment. Within a month of moving to Huyton, in January 2017, Pc Knox was signed off on sick leave as his work rota was causing friction with his colleagues and his mental health deteriorated.

He was later diagnosed with depression, anxiety and features of post traumatic stress disorder.

While he was off work, Pc Knox made a series of allegations. In October 2017 he received an “intimidating” email threatening him with disciplinary procedures if he failed to attend his scheduled return to work date.

This amounted to disability harassment, the panel concluded, as it needlessly made him “feel fearful for the future of his employment and severely distressed”.

Also while off sick, he repeatedly requested access to his work diaries but he received “dismissive” emails about them. These incidents amounted to victimisation, the panel concluded.

His other claims, including sexual harassment for the Parton incidents, were dismissed as they were presented too late or without merit.

Pc Knox, who is understood to have worked for Merseyside Police for 15 years, won £12,080 for his successful claims. He argued he should be awarded £231,000 but the tribunal refused to review the figure.