In a claim hitting the headlines, an Irish employee has won her claim of racial harassment after her manager regularly shouted “potato” at her in a mock Irish accent and used language such as “paddy” and “pikey” despite her repeatedly telling him that she did not find it funny and asking him to stop.
This lasted for six months, and the Employment Tribunal (ET) was satisfied that the behaviour created a hostile, offensive, and humiliating environment for her, and that it was reasonable for someone of Irish heritage to be offended by the comments. She was awarded £13,000 for injury to feelings as part of a larger award also covering financial losses after she was dismissed. The case is a helpful reminder of the importance of setting clear standards of expected behaviour and how so-called “banter” can prove costly.(Hayes v. West Leeds Civils Ltd)