Stirling carer who made sexual comments to co-worker over a year given warning

A carer who made a catalogue of sexually inappropriate comments to a colleague over the course of one year has received a warning.

Euan Mclay was employed by the Richmond Fellowship Scotland in Stirling between 2019 and 2020, when the incidents occurred.

On unknown dates between May 27, 2019 and July 28, 2020, Mclay made multiple sexual and flirtatious remarks to his colleague, called ZZ in order to protect her identity.

He asked her to give him a “cuddle”, said her “bum looks peachy in those trousers”, and that he wanted to “see what is hiding under those clothes”.

Mclay made comments about the clothes she wore and how they made her figure look, brushed past her and touched her side multiple times.

On one instance, Mclay told ZZ he could not “get up right now because of something that you made happen” while covering his lower half with a pillow.

While discussing the restaurant Five Guys, he told ZZ that she was “desperate” and that she must be “really lonely if she was driving to Edinburgh to get five different guys in one day”.

He also asked a service user if he should “take ZZ on a date”, and climbed out of a window to scare her.

On or around May 13, 2020, Mclay told another colleague that he felt sorry as they had only met “the sh*t version” of ZZ, as now she had changed and become a “c**t”.

He told the same colleague “she [ZZ] won’t have time to talk, her mouth will be full” when the pair were going to be alone for a period of time.

On the same day, Mclay told a service user “let’s give ZZ a butt because she’s someone’s sl*t”, and also called her a “snob” and a “cow”.

A hearing by the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) said that the comments ranged from “complimentary and flirtatious to discourteous and demeaning”, and were inappropriate in the workplace.

While the pair initially had a good friendship, and Mclay admitted he liked ZZ, the council said he should have recognised the comments had the risk of causing her emotional harm.

Since Mclay has worked in the social services sector since 2014, and showed sufficient insight, remorse and regret, the council chose against striking him off.

Instead, he has been given a 12-month warning on his registration, effective March 30.