Payout for lap dance club waitress

A waitress at a lap dancing club who was suspended after she became pregnant has won £60,000 in a sex discrimination case. Samantha McGaw, who wore hotpants, a waistcoat and fishnet stockings while tending tables at Spearmint Rhino in Tottenham Court Road, was told not to turn up for shifts when her bump started to show.

The 27-year-old asked to wear a less-revealing outfit, but the suggestion did not find favour with her employers.

Giving evidence to an employment tribunal, Miss McGaw described how lap dancers and waitresses were subjected to sexist behaviour from male colleagues who showed a "lack of respect".

She claimed girls were referred to as "mingers" and "wildebeest". Managers also openly used weekly planning meetings to discuss who they would like to sleep with, it was alleged.

Another waitress told the hearing how one male colleague would grab female members of staff on their private parts and make lewd comments.

Miss McGaw, who attended many of the management discussions in her role as head waitress, described how the men would usually begin by talking about "which of the 'wildebeests' needed to be trucked out to other clubs".

She added: "They would also talk about who they would most like to shag and which girls they considered to be mingers. I felt excluded and humiliated. It took a long time before any business was actually discussed. It was more like being in a male locker room than a management meeting."

Her job involved greeting customers as they entered the club, explaining its rules, serving drinks and helping men find dancers they liked. On top of her £26,000-a-year basic wage, she averaged £5,000 tips each month, Woburn Place Employment Tribunal heard.

She was awarded the £60,000 damages for sex discrimination, breach of contract and hurt feelings after Spearmint Rhino yesterday failed to defend the action.

Miss McGaw, who is eight and a half months pregnant and gave evidence wearing a black blazer and black trousers, joined the club in March last year and was promoted to head waitress in May. By September, rumours of her pregnancy were "rife" and she felt she had no option but to confide in her superiors. "It was very obvious to anyone who looked at me that I was pregnant because I could not hide it in that uniform," she said.

"I wanted to find out whether I could wear hotpants and a white shirt under my waistcoat so I could feel comfortable and so it was not so obvious I was pregnant."

Instead, she was immediately suspended and the club agreed to pay only a fraction of what she could expect to earn during the suspension period. She had originally planned to take maternity leave on 23 December. The tribunal heard that even before the suspension, the club's general manager Simon Warr had undermined her by insisting that his flatmates be given waitressing jobs.

Miss McGaw was replaced by a head waiter, Adam Holland. According to former waitress Catherine Meacher, who gave evidence, Mr Holland used his "power and influence" over waitresses to his advantage. "Adam Holland made sexual advances to me and other waitresses," she said. "His persistent sexual conduct had all the girls on edge.

"I saw him grabbing certain female members of staff on their private parts. On one occasion when a waitress dropped a glass on the floor he said, 'While you are down there, darling ...'. Another time in an office at the club he was telling how he had not had sex for ages and he asked a waitress if she would like to oblige. The club's manager, Mr Warr, was in the office but he did not seem to care."

Miss Meacher went on: "I was very much aware that if you played along with Adam Holland he would give you the most favourable shifts which would provide you with the largest earning potential. I was very surprised he was never reprimanded because of his behaviour."

Miss McGaw, from Paddington, declined to comment in depth after the compensation award. However, she said she hoped to be allowed to return to her original job when she has had her baby.

Max Clifford, publicist for Spearmint Rhino, said the club would appeal against this decision. He added: "They refute categorically that anybody at the club was aware that Ms McGaw was pregnant. She certainly was not suspended for being pregnant. She was suspended because of complaints about her conduct by members of staff and customers."

He said an investigation was being conducted to establish why the company failed to turn up at the tribunal hearing.