Equality, diversity and human rights

New and updated

• Date:

  1 March 1995

  Type:

  Employment law cases

  GOQ applied to 'ladies' lingerie' vacancy

  Being a woman was a genuine occupational qualification for the post of regional manager with "a specialist ladies' lingerie retailer", rules a Reading industrial tribunal (Chair: M C Craft) in Rowson v Contessa (Ladieswear) Ltd.

• Date:

  1 March 1995

  Type:

  Employment law cases

  Office banter no more offensive to women than men

  A woman who was called a "dumb bastard" by her managing director was not less favourably treated than a man would be treated, and general office banter which was no more offensive to women than to men could not be regarded as sexual harassment, says a Manchester industrial tribunal (Chair: P J Russell) in Smith v Bowater Labels Ltd.

• Date:

  1 March 1995

  Type:

  Employment law cases

  Young children led to rejection

  In Cooke v University of Nottingham and Iacovitti a Nottingham industrial tribunal (Chair: D R Sneath) rules that a woman whose job application was rejected because she had two young children was unlawfully discriminated against on grounds of sex.

• Date:

  1 March 1995

  Type:

  Employment law cases

  Asian wouldn't 'fit in'

  A Sri Lankan-born candidate was discriminated against when his application for the post of director of community services was turned down, a Bury St Edmunds industrial tribunal (Chair: D R Crome) has ruled in Abraham v Fenland District Council.

• Date:

  1 March 1995

  Type:

  Employment law cases

  Failure to shortlist unlawful

  A failure to shortlist a black employee for interview for the job of senior social worker was unlawful discrimination, rules a Nottingham industrial tribunal (Chair: D R Sneath) in Charles v Nottinghamshire County Council.

• Date:

  1 March 1995

  Type:

  Employment law cases

  Harassment complaint not taken seriously

  A female trainee whose complaint of threats of violence and harassment by a fellow male trainee was not properly investigated by the college principal was unlawfully discriminated against on grounds of sex, rules a Newcastle upon Tyne industrial tribunal (Chair: P G Rennie) in McGuiness v Finchale Training College.

• Date:

  1 March 1995

  Type:

  Employment law cases

  Minorities 'inferior to whites'

  It is a foreseeable consequence of discriminatory treatment that an employee will become upset and demotivated, holds a Birmingham industrial tribunal (Chair: A J McCarry) in Bains v Amber Leisure Ltd, finding that the dismissal of an ethnic minority employee for redundancy was unlawful discrimination even though he had requested it.

• Date:

  1 March 1995

  Type:

  Employment law cases

  Liability for racist abuse

  In Pereira v The Post Office, a Southampton industrial tribunal rules that the Post Office, which had properly followed "full procedures", was not liable for the racial abuse suffered by an employee from a fellow employee. However, in Cooley v BRS Ltd, a Reading industrial tribunal rules that BRS had failed to properly implement its harassment policy and was liable for the racial abuse of one employee by another.

• Date:

  1 March 1995

  Type:

  Employment law cases

  'Lad' wanted for heavy lifting job

  An employer who asked jobcentre staff to advertise a job as being one for a "lad" because it involved heavy lifting acted unlawfully, rules a Birmingham industrial tribunal (Chair: J G Haslam) in Equal Opportunities Commission v Grays Retailing Ltd.

• Date:

  1 March 1995

  Type:

  Employment law cases

  £2,000 award for injury to feelings approved

  In Automotive and Financial Group Ltd v Bark the EAT has held that a compensation award of £2,000 for injury to feelings to a trainee salesperson, who was dismissed after she was sexually harassed, fell within the bracket of permissible awards.