A married senior manager who likened his feelings for a junior colleague to the lyrics of Kylie Minogue’s hit “Can’t Get You Out of My Head” has been found to have sexually harassed her and has lost his claim for unfair dismissal at an employment tribunal.

Steven Powell, who was 42 at the time, sent a series of late‑night and early‑hours messages to Katie Stoney, then in her 20s, across multiple social media platforms, including LinkedIn. In those messages he told her he found her “totally intoxicating” and admitted he was on the “Kylie 2001 vibe” and “can’t lie” about his feelings.

The Kylie Minogue “vibe” and unwanted messages

The tribunal heard that Powell, a father and senior manager at Sigmatex UK, began sending messages to Miss Stoney that went far beyond any professional relationship. In one exchange, he referenced Kylie Minogue’s 2001 track “Can’t Get You Out of My Head”, telling her:

He also described her as “totally intoxicating” and repeatedly reached out to her online, despite the clear imbalance of power between them—he was a senior manager, she was a junior colleague.

Miss Stoney, however, rejected his advances and drew a firm line. In one message, she reminded him of his responsibilities and their professional relationship, saying:

Despite that clear rebuff, Powell continued to contact her, including during work trips abroad.

3.36am message and hotel room number in Paris

In April 2023, while the pair were on company business in Paris and staying at the same hotel, Powell sent Miss Stoney a message at 3.36am. The message read:

Just six minutes later, he followed up by sending her his hotel room number. Miss Stoney did not respond to either message.

The tribunal heard that this was not an isolated incident. On another occasion, shortly before midnight, Powell sent a lengthy, emotional message confessing his feelings for her:

Again, Miss Stoney did not reply.

Complaint, suspension and dismissal

In June 2024, Miss Stoney formally lodged allegations of sexual harassment against Powell. Following her complaint, Sigmatex UK suspended him while an internal investigation was carried out.

During a meeting that month, Powell admitted sending the messages and acknowledged that he had deleted some of them from LinkedIn the following morning because he felt ashamed. He told the company that he had been struggling with personal and financial pressures and had been drinking heavily outside work as a coping mechanism.

Despite those explanations, the company concluded that his conduct towards a junior colleague—while he was a married senior manager—was unacceptable and amounted to gross misconduct. He was subsequently dismissed from his role.

Tribunal: messages were sexual harassment

Powell then took his former employer to an employment tribunal, alleging that he had been unfairly dismissed. He argued that the company’s decision to sack him was unreasonable in light of his personal circumstances and the fact he had expressed remorse.

The tribunal, however, disagreed. It found that the messages he sent to Miss Stoney—particularly the late‑night and early‑hours communications, the hotel room number in Paris, and the explicit romantic and sexual undertones—amounted to sexual harassment.

The panel ruled that Sigmatex UK was entitled to treat his behaviour as gross misconduct and that the decision to dismiss him fell within the range of reasonable responses open to a fair employer. His claim for unfair dismissal was therefore dismissed.

Power, boundaries and “just a message” culture

The case highlights how “just messages” sent via social media and professional networking platforms can cross the line into unlawful harassment—especially where there is a clear power imbalance and the recipient has already said no.

Powell’s references to Kylie Minogue’s “Can’t Get You Out of My Head”, his description of Miss Stoney as “totally intoxicating”, and the 3.36am hotel‑room message were all found to contribute to an environment that was unwanted and inappropriate for a junior colleague simply trying to do her job.

For employers, the tribunal’s decision underlines the importance of clear policies on workplace relationships, social media use and harassment—and the need to act decisively when complaints are raised. For employees, it is a stark reminder that late‑night “heart on sleeve” messages to colleagues can have very real consequences.

Powell’s attempt to blame stress, alcohol and personal pressures did not change the outcome. The tribunal accepted that he felt ashamed, but ultimately concluded that his behaviour towards Miss Stoney was his responsibility—and that his dismissal was justified.