Lawyer took boss to tribunal for calling her ‘glamorous’
CALLING a woman “glamorous” at work risks undermining or “belittling” them, an employment tribunal has warned.
Complimenting a female colleague in that way is potentially inappropriate as it could make them seem less serious and professional, the panel concluded.
The ruling came in the case of a beauty pageant-winning barrister who sued for discrimination after her boss called her “glamorous”.
Jeniffer Campbell, who is black, alleged her manager, Alexandra Jacobs, racially discriminated against her by using the term.
While the tribunal rejected her racism claim it did find that using the word was potentially a breach of workplace laws.
Employment judge Sophie Park said: “In a business context we have concluded that being described as glamorous is potentially inappropriate.
“Looked at objectively, it could be taken as undermining or belittling the person being described, making them seem less serious and professional.”
A tribunal heard Ms Jacobs was showing a new colleague around the office and, when introducing Ms Campbell, she said the lawyer and model was the “glamour corner”.
Colleagues said Ms Campbell took great care of her appearance, would do her hair and make up every day, and it was heard Ms Jacobs had previously complimented her.
Ms Campbell claimed Ms Jacobs’s remark was “offensive”.
She accused Waltham Forest council, where she worked as a contract lawyer, of race harassment and race discrimination.
However, East London Employment Tribunal dismissed her case, with a judge ruling “we cannot see how she would understand the comment as having any racial connotation”.