Peninsula employment law service has been criticised for failing to put a ‘gagging’ order on a sexual harassment claimant; the case highlights the need for confidentiality.

Nicholas Ellis, a beauty salon boss, admitted sexual harassment of former employee Sarah Whitefoot in a £10,000 out of court settlement.

Employment law specialists, mhl support, claim rival firm Peninsula is guilty of failing to slap a gagging order on Whitefoot after the deal had been struck.

Marc Schroder, CEO of mhl support, said: “When Mr Ellis agreed to settle out of court, that should have been the end of the matter. But because a gagging order was not placed on Miss Whitefoot, she was able to divulge all of the tawdry details of the case to the press – precisely what Mr Ellis had wanted to avoid by settling out of court.

“As a result, as well as paying out £10,000 in compensation to his former employee, he has had his professional and personal reputation damaged because of the personal and explicit details of the case being splashed across the national press,” he said.

Schroder called the legal expertise provided by Peninsula “ill-advised”.

HRZone.co.uk approached Peninsula but the firm declined to comment, saying it does not issue comment on individual cases.