By Bellinda Kontominas Court Reporter
A FORMER Commonwealth Bank employee has told a court the sexual advances of one of the bank's senior executives and his bullying and alienation after she rejected him was "the most disrespectful thing a man can do."
Vivienne Dye said she was "flattered" by the attention of Michael Blomfield, a married father of two in charge of the banks local business banking division. But she did not wish to have a one night stand with him.
Ms Dye, a former public relations manager at CBA yesterday told the Supreme Court Mr Blomfield tried to kiss her when he walked her home following after work drinks in June 2006 and had discussed them having an affair and leaving his wife on another late-night walk in August.
But when she rejected his advances he "ignored" her and she felt alienated in her new role in his division, she told the court before describing their relationship as an onion.
"If you can imagine at the centre of the onion ring is yourself, then the first ring is the person you're perhaps married to ... the person you're most intimate with ... [and] on the very outer ring we would have complete strangers," Ms Dye said.
The conversations Mr Bloomfield initiated took their relationship "to the centre of that onion ring and when I rejected [him] he took the relationship to the outer onion ring, he ignored me ... and to me that is the most disrespectful thing a man can do," she said.
Mr Blomfield is suing Nationwide News and News Digital Media after Ms Dye's allegations of sexual harassment were published in the Daily Telegraph and related websites in April last year.
Ms Dye answered "yes" when Mr Blomfield asked if she "the hots" for him and told him she felt "flattered" that a senior executive had invited her for a drink, the court heard.
As he walked her home he allegedly said, "Well you know that I'm married, what are you doing here with me?"
"I said you know that I'm single. I'm here because you invited me out for a drink. I can be anywhere, the world is my oyster," Ms Dye told the court.
Having rejected Mr Bloomfield's advances Ms Dye said she was left out of office lunches and team exercises, adding that she had been told his corporate philosophy was that employees should "fit in or f***off."
The hearing continues.