British Airways steward wins £29,195 after unfair dismissal ruling
A British Airways cabin steward has won £29,195 after an employment tribunal ruled his dismissal was unfair. Charly Mateo was sacked in July 2024 following allegations that he asked a female colleague about joining the “mile high club”, touched her leg and told her sexual stories; the tribunal found that BA’s investigation was not thorough enough.
The colleague said the interaction during her rest break made her uncomfortable and that she did not want to work with Mateo again. The tribunal heard that BA interviewed Mateo before taking a full account from her and did not question her in depth about the alleged touching. Mateo, who had worked for BA since 2018 and had a clean disciplinary record, was not reinstated because the tribunal accepted that the airline believed trust and confidence had broken down.
- Mateo received £29,195 for unfair dismissal.
- The tribunal criticised BA’s investigation.
- His request to return to the job was rejected.
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Charly Mateo is a British Airways cabin steward who was dismissed in July 2024 following allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards a female colleague during her rest break. The allegations included asking about the "mile high club", touching her leg and telling her sexual stories.
Employment tribunals examine whether an employer acted fairly when dismissing someone, focusing on whether the investigation was thorough and the process was reasonable. In Mateo's case, the tribunal found that British Airways had not conducted a proper investigation – it spoke to Mateo before fully hearing his colleague's account and did not question her in detail about the alleged touching. Without a thorough investigation, the dismissal could not be considered fair.
The ruling demonstrates that employers must follow proper procedures when investigating serious allegations. Mateo, who had six years' service without disciplinary issues, was awarded compensation by the tribunal. Although it found that trust had broken down too severely for him to continue in the role, the tribunal determined that fair investigative procedure should have come first.
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The case for
Employment law requires procedural fairness before dismissal, particularly for an employee with a clean disciplinary record. British Airways failed to conduct a thorough investigation—it interviewed Mateo before obtaining a complete account from the colleague and did not probe the touching allegation adequately. Even when allegations are serious, bypassing proper process denies an employee natural justice and sets a dangerous precedent where employers can dismiss without rigorous investigation, leaving workers vulnerable to unsubstantiated claims or misunderstandings.
The case against
Sexual harassment allegations—including unwanted touching and inappropriate sexual comments—represent serious workplace misconduct that threatens employee wellbeing and safety. BA's responsibility to protect its staff from harassment must be weighed against procedural formalities; swift action to remove someone accused of creating a hostile environment reflects legitimate duty of care. An employer should not be forced to retain an employee in a safety-sensitive role when credible harassment allegations exist, even if investigation procedures were imperfect.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “British Airways steward sacked for asking female colleague if she wanted to join the ‘mile high club’ wins £30,000 payout”.