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Zeinab Alipourbabaie, 39, worked for Dyson for four years until she reigned back in June 2018 after suffering months of harassment and discrimination by her senior manager, Kamaljit Chana.
Ms Alipourbabaie said that no one should have to endure the pain of harassment and discrimination that she suffered while working at Dyson and she decided to make a claim to the Employment Tribunal in this regard.
Ms Aipoutbabaie claimed that during her time at Dyson, Mr Chana made unacceptable comments about her religion and although Mr Chana denied doing so, the Tribunal said Ms Alipourbabaie’s evidence was both compelling and persuasive.
It was also claimed that Mr Chana deliberately excluded Ms Aipoutbabaie from meetings and emails making it difficult for her to carry out her role and he also expressed critical views to a Dyson Vice President about whether she should be promoted.
The Employment Tribunal found that she had been subjected to both discrimination and harassment for several months whilst working for Dyson and they also ruled that her resignation was constructive dismissal.
Since this ruling, Dyson has taken disciplinary action against Mr Chana and they have also launched mandatory ‘respect’ training for all of their employees.
Remedy will be ruled at a later hearing for Ms Alipourbabaie.
What employees should know about discrimination on the grounds of religion
Ms Alipourbabaie’s case serves as a warning to all companies that employees must be treated fairly and that any harassment or discrimination on the grounds of religion will not be tolerated by the Employment Tribunal. It goes without saying that this is incredibly good news for all employees and it provides peace of mind that they too will be protected should they experience a similar situation themselves.
As an employee, you should be aware that as far as discrimination is concerned, you are protected under The Employment Act 2010. This Act provides protection for every section of UK employment and defends personnel across the whole of the UK workforce. The EA recognises several different forms of discrimination too, including; direct discrimination, indirect discrimination, harassment and victimisation. So, if you ever feel as though you are being discriminated against, the EA is there to help you.
Whilst The Employment Act 2010 covers a range of protected characteristics, in relation to the case above, it is worth noting that it covers religion/belief and race discrimination at work. The term ‘race’ is read widely too and it covers; colour, nationality and ethnic or national origins. If you experience any form of discrimination on these grounds, you may also be able to make a claim to the Employment Tribunal.
It is important to note that the vast majority of discrimination claims do need to be filed within three months from the date that the discrimination occurred. If your discrimination is an ongoing process, as it was in the case above, this three month time period will run from the date of the most recent discriminatory behaviour. As with the case above, your claim will then be taken to an Employment Tribunal to be settled.
How Nationwide Employment Lawyers can help
Should you find yourself in a position where you require legal advice in relation to religion/belief or race discrimination, or any other form of discrimination for that matter, please do not hesitate to reach out to our team here at Nationwide Employment Lawyers. With many years of experience behind us and in-depth knowledge of employment law, you can guarantee that we will be able to assist you further in this regard.
Should you wish to make a claim against your employer to the Employment Tribunal the same way Ms Alipourbabie did in the case above, we will gladly assist you in doing so. We will do all we can to help you get the justice you deserve in this regard and support you from beginning to end. If you have any questions at all, a member of our friendly team will gladly answer these for you and provide you with any additional information that you require in relation to discrimination in the workplace.