5. Starbucks Pushed Me To The Edge!

Starbucks is one of the most famous brands worldwide. The coffee shop has become so popular that the word ‘coffee’ is even becoming replaced with the name ‘Starbucks’, i.e. ‘do you want a Starbucks?’

Starbucks isn’t well-known for poor working environments, however Meseret Kumulchew, a female barista at Starbucks in London, witnessed discrimination first hand. The extent of the discrimination she was facing pushed her to breaking point. She confessed to having suicidal thoughts, and the only reason she is still alive today is because of her two children.

Meseret was transparent about her dyslexia when she first joined. Regardless of this, Starbucks didn’t hold back on making her feel unwelcome and accusing her of fraud through falsifying documents. Meseret was mistakenly entering incorrect fridge temperatures because of her condition and lost her supervisor position as a result. 

The tribunal found that Starbucks failed to make reasonable adjustments for Meseret. Additionally, Starbucks discriminated against her due to the effects of her dyslexia. Furthermore, it was found that her employer victimised her. Starbucks’ working environment allowed behaviour like this to occur because there was little or no knowledge or understanding of equality issues within the business.

4. My Company Spies On Me

The next workplace discrimination example is Cheryl Spragg, who worked as an employee at Richemont in the UK. Richemont owns luxury brands including Cartier and Montblanc. For anyone, this sounds like a good role, but Cheryl certainly would disagree. She was spied on, denied progress within the company and bullied by her fellow employees as a result of her skin colour.

Mrs Spragg was refused internal progression within the company on the basis she was black three times with all these decisions made by the same people. It was later ruled by the judge, with all the evidence, that the company had an undeniable preference for white Europeans. Also, there was no existence of there being any equality and diversity training at the company. But, this is only the beginning.

Cheryl had been subject to bullying when other staff members refused to enter a lift with her, which was a violation of her dignity. These employees were said to have laughed and pulled faces when Cheryl held the lift door open for them – they walked straight past and waited for another lift to come. This incident meets the very definition of harassment under the Equality Act 2010.  

However, unbelievably the worst has yet to come. The company placed an actual undercover surveillance team on Mrs Spragg. The surveillance team captured footage on her in her home, garden and even on her wedding day.

After the judge heard Cheryl’s case and considered the evidence, she won her claim. She became awarded compensation for the traumatic and humiliating experience. 

3. You’re Too Old!

A common discriminatory assumption of older workers is they are out of touch with modern technologies. Of course, this is wrong as everyone can learn and specialise in a particular field, regardless of factors such as age. However, the NHS may not have agreed with my last statement.

An 89-year-old NHS secretary, Eileen Jolly, became the oldest person in the UK to win an age discrimination claim. Her superiors fired her, claiming that she was stuck in her “old secretarial ways” and noting that she has shown a dramatic failure in her performance.

In simple terms, Eileen was fired for finding it difficult to use a modern computer. However, the employment tribunal stated that “there was evidence of the claimant’s training having been inadequate, incomplete and ‘on the job’ training was ad hoc and not directed”. Unfortunately, Eileen never got her job back at the NHS. But, she did end up £200,000 richer!

2. Further Hearing Loss in Future? Fail! 

This case outlines a lady who faced discrimination in the workplace because of a physical disability.

a policewoman who is not disabled has won a claim against the police force for direct disability discrimination. Upon joining the force, Lisa Coffey was given a medical examination which revealed that she had suffered an amount of hearing loss. However, she was able to pass the force’s practical hearing test, thus permitting her to work without requiring any adjustments.

Two years later, Coffey applied for a transfer to another police force and was once again required to undergo a medical test. The results of this test were identical to the first; however her application was refused on the grounds that her hearing loss was likely to worsen in the future. This perception was found by the employment tribunal to be direct disability discrimination who awarded Coffey £26,616.05 in compensation.

1. Not A Man? You’re Not Getting A Promotion

Macro-economic specialist, Olwen Renowned, found herself as an example of sex discrimination in the workplace. Despite being more than qualified, the company was refusing to give her one of the positions.

It was noted early on by Olwen that the company had over one hundred employees working at this level, none of whom were women! Male applicants subsequently filled these open roles. Both men were young, inexperienced and had never worked at a grade six level before.

An additional vacancy became open for employees who had passed the grade six promotion board; however, this was only ever made available to male prospects. 

Olwen raised it as discrimination in the workplace, but, unfortunately, her appeal was denied. 

She later applied to the Employment Tribunal with her case, and it was agreed that the company is biased towards male staff. Furthermore, the tribunal outlined that those who should have addressed the issue failed to do so. 

The tribunal found that Olwen’s claims of sex discrimination were successful. Thus she was paid compensation and interest.