'Boss told women to wear short skirts'

A company managing director accused of sexism told a rep to wear a mini skirt if she wanted to sell more advertising space, it was claimed.

Alexis Paul told an employment tribunal about the remark she alleged was made to her by Eddie Prentice, the managing director of Cru Publishing.

Ms Paul's former colleague, advertising manager Ana Stamenkovic, is claiming £50,000 from the company and alleging sexual discrimination and constructive dismissal. She says she was forced from her £40,000-a-year job by Mr Prentice.

He used "fear tactics" to continually knock down the performance of his staff, leaving them believing they were on the verge of being sacked, Ms Paul, 34, told the central London tribunal. She claimed that a memo from him left her feeling "like a naughty schoolgirl".

Ms Paul worked with Mrs Stamenkovic, 31, from Tooting, at the trade publishers until 1998 when, she claimed, she was also forced to resign because of the way she was treated. Both women were employed as advertising managers selling ad space in watch, jewellery and diamond journals.

Ms Paul said that although she enjoyed a joke in the office she objected to comments made by Mr Prentice. She said: "I am an outgoing person and I do like enjoying myself if I can. I don't think I was ever suggestive in the way I dress. I don't wear mini skirts.

"Eddie Prentice said, 'You should wear short skirts in order to sell advertising'. There's always an element-of truth in jokes and I felt at the time he might have meant it." Talking about comments allegedly made by Mr Prentice suggesting that women are "all emotional" she added: "It was a general phrase we talked about in the office. It was a catchphrase.

"It was not just me or Ana that suffered, it was the women before us. I am here because I want to see justice done.

"It was very difficult to get any positive feedback from Eddie. It was very rare for him to congratulate us. He was using another tactic, the fear tactic... fear that we would get the sack.

"It was a pattern of just knocking you down. When you were on the up he would just kick you down.

"His attitude was you are only as good as your last sale. I just lost all confidence in myself. I was snapped up by what I considered to be the most prestigious publishing company in the world and they said they had heard about me in the industry.

"If Eddie thought that I was such a bad saleswoman I don't think Vogue would have employed me."

She alleged that Mr Prentice victimised her and used two formal disciplinary proceedings to make her position untenable.

A memo written in October 1997 criticising her over her expenses and selling advertising space to a regular customer under price was "unnecessary", she said.

"This memo is something that you would expect if you were a naughty schoolgirl, as if you are on report," she said. "I don't think I am an isolated case, we all suffered the same treatment."

She criticised Mr Prentice's managerial style as "irrational, executive decision-making".

The hearing continues.