In a world increasingly recognising the wrongs of gender discrimination, our Cornwall-based team at Nalders are poised to help you professionally navigate your way through a related claim. This comes off the back of a surge of cases similar to Daniel Wright’s in February 2021, in which Watford Tribunal found that he had been unlawfully discriminated against when he was denied work as a babysitter on the basis that he was not a mother.
This case undeniably ticked the boxes of sex discrimination – the defendant’s App, Pottiebee, through which Mr Wright applied for babysitting work, did not allow anyone other than ‘mothers’ to apply. In other words, Mr Wright was deemed unsuitable for babysitting work based solely on his gender.
With a pay-out of £1,500 due to a loss of earnings coupled with compensation for the emotional distress caused, it is clear that there is a justifiable impetus in the current trying of sex discrimination cases. The compensation was relatively low in this case, due mainly to the COVID-19 pandemic meaning that little babysitting work was available anyway and because the babysitting work would not have been Mr Wright’s primary employment – therefore his predicted loss of earnings was fairly small. Had Mr Wright been seeking full-time employment, however, his losses – and the compensation – would have been far greater.
Employers need to ensure that their employment contracts, staff policies and general operating practices will not inadvertently land them in hot water.
At Nalders, we have a dedicated team of law specialists on hand to help you navigate your way through general employment documentation like your contracts, policies and practices, as well as any specific employment or commercial arrangements you’re currently considering. For more information, contact Dale Band, Gayle McDermott, Lee Middleton, or Luke Smith today.