Employment law cases in the news – 08.05.2017 to 14.05.2017

In the latest of our series of posts on employment law cases in the news, we examine ten employment law cases that have made headlines between 8 May and 14 May 2017

  1. Jaguar Land Rover pay out £19,000 damages after management used “racial slur” – Jaguar Land Rover managers and co-workers regularly used an offensive racial slur to refer to a colleague, an employment tribunal has found. The Coventry -headquartered luxury car manufacturer has been ordered to pay out more than £19,152.01 in damages after an employment tribunal found that an employee had suffered harassment and discrimination because of his race and disabilities (The Coventry Telegraph)
  2. Mother wins disability discrimination case – A woman who lost her job at a Belfast advice centre has been awarded £18,886 in damages, after being discriminated against. A tribunal found Maria McKeith’s dismissal from the Ardoyne Association was linked to her role as primary carer for her disabled daughter (BBC)
  3. Steel manufacturers fined after worker’s hand crushed – Cardiff based steel manufacturing company Rom Ltd has today been fined after a worker suffered crush injuries to his hand. The magistrates’ court, North Staffordshire Justice Centre heard how on 23 October 2015 a 51-year-old worker was removing leftover steel from the a machine called the Koch Straightener, used for straightening steel wire, when he trapped his hand between the rotating rollers inside the machine (HSE)
  4. Tube driver wins £3,000 for working with a colleague who had swastika and German Iron Eagle tattoos on his leg – A train driver has been awarded £3,000 compensation for working with a colleague who had Nazi tattoos. Dion De Leon challenged Bryan Siequien after discovering he had a swastika and a German Iron Eagle tattooed on his leg, an employment tribunal heard (The Mail Online)
  5. Asian police officer ‘threatened with sack’ after ‘racist’ toy monkey complaint – An Asian police officer was allegedly threatened with the sack after complaining about the racist treatment of a colleague involving a toy monkey (The Telegraph)
  6. Former Bradford Bulls players and staff launch legal proceedings against league – Almost 50 former players and staff employed by Bradford Bulls before the club’s liquidation in January have launched legal proceedings against three different parties including the sport’s governing body, the Rugby Football League (The Guardian)
  7. Ukrainian doctor sues former employer who ‘challenged’ her medical qualifications – A female doctor has taken her former employer to tribunal, claiming her manager challenged her medical qualifications and asked if she was genuinely a doctor. Lynudmyla Nod is suing Rowlands Pharmacy in Shrewsbury, West Midlands, where she worked for six months as a pharmacy assistant, for unfair dismissal and racial discrimination (CIPD)
  8. Court of Appeal backs greater protection for whistleblowing junior doctors – Three judges sitting in the Court of Appeal have called for the law to be interpreted to maximise protection for junior doctors after hearing an appeal against two employment tribunal rulings (Lexology)
  9. Asperger’s employment case highlights caution with multiple choice testing – Recruiters have been warned to tread carefully if using multiple-choice testing when hiring, so as not to discriminate against candidates with autism (Recruiter)
  10. Company fined after worker seriously injured – A salad growing company has been fined after an employee was seriously injured by a chainsaw while felling trees. Basildon Magistrates’ Court heard that an employee of Growing Green Limited suffered deep cuts to his arm while working with another colleague at the Brentwood Nursery on 6 April 2016 (HSE)