Back in January 2013, my colleague David Whincup published a blog about an Iowa dentist who dismissed his assistant because of the threat which his wife considered her to pose to their marriage. For those happy few who have spent the last 17 months wondering what would happen in similar circumstances in the UK, wonder … Continue Reading
So here is Friday’s teaser – let us suppose that an Employment Tribunal has just decided that you have been sexually harassed by your former boss, that he was fixated by your breasts, habitually stared at them and frequently addressed them while in conversation with you. He has also touched you, uninvited and unreciprocated, on … Continue Reading
My word, I hope somebody has a good explanation for this one. London Underground bosses have apparently required the removal from Tube offices in Essex of two small photos of the Queen, unwitting subject of bullying allegations made by a member of one rail union against a member of another. RMT and ASLEF union representatives … Continue Reading
The UK’s Daily Telegraph reported last week on the appeal of an Employment Tribunal decision in a claim brought by a black chef who complained about her boss using the word ‘golliwog’ during a conversation about the old Robertson’s Jam label. Although in use by the brand since 1910, the golliwog image was removed from … Continue Reading
Most workplaces do (and indeed probably should) have a degree of daily workplace banter between employees within the workplace. It’s usually part of the oil which keeps the machine running happily and smoothly. But when does the banter cross the line from a little reciprocal mickey-taking and verbal jousting to help the day go past … Continue Reading
Tough economic times in Japan in recent years have led to the growth of a new social problem, the “burakku kigyo” or “black company”. There is no legal definition for this, but it is usually described as an exploitative employer where unlawful practices are common (in fact, normal), including excessive working hours, abuse of power, … Continue Reading
I have recently been watching (and secretly enjoying) BBC Three’s The Call Centre. The “documentary” follows the day to day events at a Swansea call centre under the leadership of CEO and self-titled Napoleon, Nev. It took me a while to realise that this was not some terribly clever spoof like The Office, but was … Continue Reading
On June 24, the Supreme Court issued two significant, employer-friendly decisions which effectively raised the bar for employees pursing retaliation and harassment claims under Title VII. University of Texas Southern Medical Center v. Nassar In a sharply divided 5-4 ruling, the Court held in University of Texas Southern Medical Center v. Nassar, No. 12-484 that … Continue Reading
So is it age discrimination to called a teenage employee a “teenager”? All a question of context, the Employment Tribunal decided in Roberts –v- Cash Zone (Camberley) Limited last month, a ruling which also sheds some side-light on the use of other potentially discriminatory terms in the workplace. Ms Roberts was 18 when dismissed by … Continue Reading
In an open letter to the Guardian, gender equality campaigners Object and UK Feminista demand that UK retailers withdraw the sale of “Lads’ Mags” life FHM and newspapers featuring “pornographic front covers” immediately. Object have been campaigning to “Lose the Lads’ Mags” for ten years but their latest assault tackles the issue from a predominantly … Continue Reading
Though the Pope may now have stepped down on health grounds, his name lives on in some surprising quarters, most recently the Employment Appeal Tribunal. During the Pope’s visit to the UK in 2010, The Times newspaper was preparing a story about allegations that he had protected a paedophile priest. A Times editor, Mr Wilson, … Continue Reading
The press coverage of England’s Euro 2012 team continues to be dominated by Rio Ferdinand’s omission from the England squad and the inclusion of his former centre-back partner John Terry. The controversy surrounds the fact that in December, Terry was charged by the Police with making racist comments to Ferdinand’s brother. Roy Hodgson, the England … Continue Reading
Rarely does a case come along which so effortlessly transports even the most humourless reader to the world of the “Carry On” film. Bowater v North West London Hospitals NHS Trust does just that, one of those decisions that you suspect HR knew all along would blow up in their faces. Ms B was a … Continue Reading
