Tribunal orders £1,425 compensation for 61-year-old Ghanaian worker after colleague called her ‘auntie’

Sometimes a little word can cause big trouble. That’s exactly what happened to Ilda Esteves, a 61-year-old Ghanaian working for the NHS, who ended up in an employment tribunal after her colleague, fellow Ghanaian Charles Oppong, kept calling her “auntie.”

Apparently, Esteves had enough. She tried to tell him to stop, but nothing changed, so she took her case to the tribunal. The ruling? She’s been awarded £1,425 in compensation.

Now, whether Oppong meant it as disrespect or was just using the term out of Ghanaian cultural habit (a sign of respect for older people) isn’t entirely clear. What is clear is that Esteves felt harassed and uncomfortable at work—and the compensation is meant to make up for that.

The story has caused quite a stir online. Instagram user gambino_harvey reacted: “Damn it cost money to be respectful in the UK?”

On Facebook, Acquilla Djaba added: “This word seems to compliment someone older here, but may be viewed differently elsewhere. Yep, a madman can be a king in some other places.”

Dawid Nana Quophy Menz weighed in with some commonsense reasoning: “Well from the headline, he repeatedly called her auntie… meaning it’s possible the woman had indicated to him she does not want to be called auntie… but he refused to listen… (from the headline tho).”

Some users couldn’t resist adding a bit of humour. Attipoevi Sela joked: “Two Ghanaians were playing and one take cash out, is this not edidigya, Auntie should better sort bla Charles out fast.”

And then there’s Maame Akweley, who took a more reflective tone: “Travel and see! This is one of the cultural shocks you'd see. As many won't understand, always find out from people how they'd want you to address them. Yes. She may have some past traumas. Hence, calling her 'auntie' may have triggered it.”

So, there you have it—a reminder that even familiar words can land differently depending on who you’re talking to. And in this case, it cost a colleague a few pounds.