Wife 'harassed' over bare-chested office massage fights for compo

A public servant couple from Queensland's Sunshine Coast is fighting for state government compensation, claiming they faced workplace bullying after the wife was seen rubbing cream on her bare-chested husband's sunburnt back as he sat at his desk.

"You two are ridiculous," the office supervisor told Robyn Bond and husband Kirk, according to the Courier-Mail.

The couple, who are conveners in the youth justice conferencing arm of the Queensland Attorney-General's Department, performed the affectionate display in their open-plan office at Mooloolaba, in full view of their colleagues, in November 2011.

Both were awarded compensation under WorkCover Queensland for mental stress last year.

But the payments were halted when the department challenged their entitlement to compensation and now the couple is fighting to win back the compensation in the Queensland Supreme Court.

They claim the discrimination and bullying began after they began dating and later married in 2012.

Their supervisor, Christine Thomas, denies bullying the couple and was forced to respond to claims from the Bonds that she too had received massages from a colleague in the office, albeit ones not involving the use of oils or the removal of clothing.

"Christine apparently approves of workplace massages that do not involve the use of oil, but would reprimand any employee who used a lotion or oil while massaging," Mr Bond said.