Gender-critical woman wins harassment claim against Arts Council England – The Guardian

‘A gender-critical woman has won a harassment claim against Arts Council England, after hostile comments were made about her beliefs at an internal meeting and on a petition circulated within the organisation.’

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The Guardian, 27th June 2023

Source: www.theguardian.com

Ethical veganism, COVID vaccine and employment: Owen v Willow Tower – Law & Religion UK

Posted June 27th, 2023 in coronavirus, employment tribunals, equality, news, vaccination, veganism by sally

‘Ms Owen was an employee of Willow Tower OPCO 1 Ltd, which runs residential nursing care facilities including the Sunrise home at which she worked. In 2017, she had asked to relinquish her contracted hours and asked to be placed on the “bank”, from which she could cover as many shifts as were available. She also worked for herself as a Foot Health Practitioner, often providing services to the respondent.’

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Law & Religion UK, 26th June 2023

Source: lawandreligionuk.com

Employment and “protected beliefs”: Higgs v Farmor’s School – Law & Religion UK

‘In Higgs v Farmor’s School [2023] EAT 89, Mrs Higgs worked as a pastoral administrator and work experience manager at Farmor’s School. Complaints were received about Facebook posts that she had made about relationship education in primary schools: in particular, she re-posted someone else’s post, heading it, “PLEASE READ THIS! THEY ARE BRAINWASHING OUR CHILDREN!” [5]. She also re-posted similar material. She accepted that her posts might have been seen by parents of pupils at Farmor’s School, though she pointed out that she had not mentioned the school itself [9].
She was suspended and, after a disciplinary investigation and an appeal, dismissed [16 & 17]. She took the school to an Employment Tribunal, arguing that her dismissal amounted either to direct discrimination because of her protected beliefs or to harassment relating to them.’

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Law & Religion UK, 20th June 2023

Source: lawandreligionuk.com

Tribunal orders London borough to pay ex-director £15k+ in withheld pay – Local Government Lawyer

‘The London Borough of Croydon must pay a former director almost £15,000 in withheld pay, which it reduced while she was off sick.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 8th June 2023

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Groom wins case against stable boss who refused to dismount from horse during meeting – Daily Telegraph

Posted June 6th, 2023 in employment tribunals, horses, news, pregnancy, unfair dismissal by sally

‘A groom at a racehorse stables has won a pregnancy discrimination case after one of her bosses refused to get off her horse during a meeting to discuss her childcare.’

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Daily Telegraph, 5th June 2023

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Hospital ‘racially discriminated’ against engineer – BBC News

‘An NHS hospital trust racially discriminated against an engineer when he was suspended over a health and safety breach, an employment tribunal ruled.’

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BBC News, 25th May 2023

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

No continuing loss from law firm’s breach of contract, tribunal rules – Legal Futures

‘A trainee solicitor who never took up his job after the terms of employment were changed four days before he began work has failed in his bid for damages greater than his contractual notice period.’

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Legal Futures, 23rd May 2023

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Is “ethnocentric nationalism” protected by s.10 of the Equality Act?: Cave – Law & Religion UK

‘In Mr A Cave v The Open University [2023] UKET 3313198/2020, the OU received internal and external complaints in June 2020 about what was claimed to be racist material that Mr Cave had posted on Twitter and on a YouTube channel he had set up entitled “Renew Britannia” [6].’

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Law & Religion UK, 22nd May 2023

Source: lawandreligionuk.com

IT worker sues boss over mistaken ‘jumbo genital’ acronym – The Independent

Posted May 19th, 2023 in employment, employment tribunals, harassment, news, sex discrimination by sally

‘An IT worker sued her “rich and powerful” boss for sexual harassment after mistaking “xx” in his email as code for wanting kisses and his initials for “A Jumbo Genital”.’

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The Independent, 18th May 2023

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Changing the narrative on neurodiversity: smoothing out the bumps in the road – Local Government Lawyer

‘Libby Hubbard looks at a recent Employment Appeal Tribunal case that considered whether a staff member’s behaviour and his disability were linked.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 28th April 2023

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Paralegal wins claims for disability discrimination and harassment – Legal Futures

‘A paralegal at a London law firm was unfairly dismissed over unpaid wages, subjected to disability discrimination and harassed on the basis of her sex, an employment tribunal has ruled.’

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Legal Futures, 26th April 2023

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Barrister fails in appeal over discrimination claim against chambers – Legal Futures

‘An employment tribunal (ET) did not show bias in dismissing a claim brought by a black barrister against his chambers, an appeal tribunal has ruled.’

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Legal Futures, 24th April 2023

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Misogyny rife in RAF boys’ club, sex assault victim says – BBC News

‘The RAF is a “boys’ club” where sexual harassment, misogyny and homophobia are rife, says a female ex-corporal who was sexually assaulted while serving.’

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BBC News, 14th April 2023

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Tribunals remain “open to the difficult” … but perhaps not the persistently uncooperative – 3PB

‘The claimant worked as a Customer Assistant for the respondent from 8 September 2008 until he was dismissed on 5 September 2018. The respondent asserted that the claimant was dismissed because, during a shopping trip in his own time, the claimant had an altercation with a store manager. He was also alleged to have been abusive to a shopper and refused to sign his training record.’

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3PB, March 2023

Source: www.3pb.co.uk

The Proposed Changes to Panel Composition in the ET and the EAT – A Valuable Cost Saving Exercise, or an Erosion of Justice? – Parklane Plowden Chambers

Posted April 5th, 2023 in consultations, employment tribunals, news by sally

‘Sir Keith Lindblom, Senior President of Tribunals has in recent weeks launched a consultation paper seeking views on the proposals to potentially change the composition of ETs and the EAT, with a view to removing, or further reducing the use of lay members in all but the most complex cases. But what effect, if any, would this change have on the administration of justice?’

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Parklane Plowden Chambers, 8th March 2023

Source: www.parklaneplowden.co.uk

Associative indirect discrimination: a new class of claimant in discrimination law – 12 King’s Bench Walk Employment and Discrimination Blog

‘Employment practitioners will be aware of the significance of the European Court of Justice’s judgment in Coleman v Attridge. Prior to that decision, discrimination claims relating to disability (and age, sex and gender reassignment) could only be brought by a claimant who himself had the relevant protected characteristic.’

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12 King’s Bench Walk Employment and Discrimination Blog, 13th March 2023

Source: 12kbwemploymentlaw.wordpress.com

Law firm unfairly dismissed “homophobic” secretary – Legal Futures

‘A law firm unfairly dismissed a legal secretary who made homophobic comments because of how it ran the disciplinary process, an employment tribunal has ruled.’

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Legal Futures, 23rd March 2023

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

CPS to pay £136,000 for failing to ease barrister’s workload – Law Society’s Gazette

‘The Crown Prosecution Service has been ordered to pay a barrister almost £136,000 after failing to make adjustments to his working life following a heart attack.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 22nd March 2023

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

School chaplaincy, sermons on sexuality – and employment law: Randall – Law & Religion UK

‘Trent College is a co-educational, independent day and boarding school. It is an Anglican foundation and a registered charity [36]. Its articles of association provide that the “Objects for which the company is established are: The advancement of education of boys and girls in England, Wales or elsewhere in accordance with the Protestant and Evangelical principles of the Church of England”. The Revd Dr Bernard Randall, an Anglican priest, was employed as the College’s Chaplain. In May 2019, he delivered two sermons to the pupils about “competing ideologies” which led to his summary dismissal on 30 August 2019. On appeal, he was reinstated, subject to compliance with various management instructions. He was subsequently dismissed by reason of redundancy on 10 November 2020.’

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Law & Religion UK, 7th March 2023

Source: lawandreligionuk.com

Paralegal awarded £30k over pregnancy discrimination and low pay – Legal Futures

Posted February 20th, 2023 in damages, employment, employment tribunals, equality, news, paralegals, pregnancy, solicitors by sally

‘A solicitor has been ordered to pay a paralegal over £30,000 after an employment tribunal found he discriminated against her once she became pregnant.’

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Legal Futures, 17th February 2023

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk