Employment law stories in the news – 01.07.2019 to 07.07.2019

In the latest of our series of posts on employment law stories in the news, we take a look at ten employment law stories that have made headlines between 1 July and 7 July 2019

  1. BNP Settles Suit Filed by Executive Called ‘Princess’ by Boss – BNP Paribas SA settled a sex discrimination lawsuit with an executive who said a colleague called her a “princess” behind her back, according to people familiar with the matter (Bloomberg)
  2. Asian officer accuses Met Police of discrimination – One of Britain’s most senior female Asian police officers has accused the Metropolitan Police of discrimination. Parm Sandhu has begun legal action claiming she was denied promotion and work opportunities on the basis of her race and gender (BBC)
  3. Construction company fined after worker suffered carbon monoxide poisoning – Construction company Construction 360 Ltd was sentenced for safety breaches after a worker collapsed and lost consciousness while working at the site of King Asia Foods Ltd, Middle Bank, Sheffield (HSE)
  4. Black paratroopers suing Army claim soldiers put up Nazi flags and pictures of Hitler in their barracks – Two black paratroopers are suing the Army for racial abuse from soldiers who decorated their barracks with Nazi flags and pictures of Adolf Hitler (The Telegraph)
  5. Wealthy businessman Mr X who paid off sex accusers wins secrecy order – One of the British establishment’s richest and most powerful figures has been granted wide-ranging secrecy orders preventing The Times from revealing him as the man who faced accusations of serious sexual harassment and assault in an employment case (The Times)
  6. Police Scotland rack up £125,000 bill defending legal actions from claim cops – Police Scotland has spent more than £125,000 defending legal actions against the controversial former Counter Corruption Unit (The Daily Record)
  7. Pregnant worker who challenged working hours wins unfair dismissal claim – A care assistant who was dismissed from her role after seeking to opt out of a 48-hour-plus week because she was pregnant has been awarded more than £35,000 in compensation (Personnel Today)
  8. Musselburgh Racecourse boss sues own board in £10,000 pay row – The boss of Musselburgh Racecourse is to sue his own board claiming he was unjustly docked more than £10,000 in wages. Chief executive Bill Farnsworth is set to haul the committee in front of an employment tribunal in the latest chapter of a long-running power struggle at the top venue (Edinburgh News)
  9. Company fined after teenage apprentice overcome by fumes – An alloy wheel refurbishment company was sentenced after a 16-year-old apprentice worker was overcome by vapours from a chemical used in the stripping and cleaning of alloy wheels (HSE)
  10. Tribunal finds former Barchester deputy home manager was unfairly dismissed – An employment tribunal has found that a former Barchester deputy care home manager accused of verbally abusing a vulnerable resident was unfairly dismissed. Carol Streener was awarded £11,000 after the tribunal found that the investigation into charges against her lacked “any objectivity or rigour” (Care Home Professional)