Brazilian ‘forced to party with prostitutes’ wins damages

BRASILIA—Brazilian beverage giant Ambev has been ordered to pay $25,000 in damages to an employee who complained he had been pressured to attend meetings where prostitutes entertained salesmen.

The Superior Labor Court announced on Monday it had decided to uphold a regional court’s finding that the employee had been subjected to moral harassment and confirmed the $25,000 award it ordered.

The employee, who said he was married and an evangelical Christian, charged that Ambev salesmen were forced to take part in parties held with prostitutes, to promote sales.

The court said the employee alleged that at one point “he was tied up and forced to watch pornographic movies, and there was a situation in which a woman who did stripteases was taken to his room to undress herself.”

It said the incidents occurred on more than 10 occasions in 2003 and 2004.

Ambev said in a statement “the company, which has more than 30,000 employees in Brazil, does not practice or tolerate any undue practice with its employees. Old and isolated cases do not reflect the day to day of the company.”