Two women, who developed repetitive strain injuries after giving massages to businessmen, have won a total of £300,000 in compensation from Virgin Atlantic.
The women, Jayne Evans and Michelle Hindmarsh, worked as masseurs, giving Shiatsu treatments to first class passengers in the airline’s lounge at Heathrow. The majority of the pair’s customers were men, fully clothed, whose massages necessitated the women using heavier hand and finger pressure. Both developed pain in their wrists, shoulders and back and they claimed that they were left “unable to peel a carrot”. The injuries resulted in both women giving up their careers.
Mrs Evans received £230,972 as damages for anxiety and depression, caused by losing, what she described as her dream job. Mrs Hindmarsh received just over £69,000 on account of her soon finding a better paid job in a different sector.
Virgin Atlantic admitted liability though it disputed the amounts of compensation sought by the two women. The court heard that the women’s symptoms were aggravated by working long shifts and using Shiatsu pressure-point techniques which required heavy pressure.