Lesbian worker wins employment tribunal

A lesbian shop worker has won an employment case against a leading UK retailer, in which she alleged that she had been the victim of harassment and unfair dismissal.

Marlene Bielak, who worked for the Next store chain, claimed that she had been bullied and taunted by fellow employees and called a "****ing dyke" by a former colleague.

The homosexual worker told a tribunal in Merseyside that she was discriminated against because of her sexuality, with the bullying coming predominantly from one worker, Katrina Davies, a practising Jehovah's Witness, who questioned her lifestyle and the environment in which Ms Bielak was raising her son.

Ms Bielak, who lives with her partner, has been awarded compensation of six-figures for the treatment she received at the Next store in St Helens, Merseyside, under the Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003, which protect employees against discrimination and harassment on the grounds of their sexual orientation.

The tribunal ruled that Next had failed to adequately protect Ms Bielak from homophobic harassment. The company did not deal with a grievance complaint she made against Ms Davies for 14 months, causing her to resign and lodge a claim for unfair dismissal.

Complainants have won a number of recent cases involving homophobic bullying in the workplace.

© Adfero Ltd
Date:08/03/2007 12:33:33