Executive awarded £174k over gay taunts at work

AN EXECUTIVE who was branded “camp” by colleagues and suffered gay taunts at work has been awarded a £174,000 payout by an employment tribunal.

Peter Allen was subjected to limpwristed hand gestures and sent emails featuring stereotypical gay characters with comments directed at him, while working for Paradigm Precision Ltd, a company making jet engine parts.

A passport photo of him with “I love” written underneath was left out at work for him to find. He was also asked what “type” of man he liked at a work do.

An employment judge also found that the firm turned Mr Allen down for promotions because his bosses expected him to take extra leave after adopting a child.

He was later “isolated” while his claims were being investigated, before leaving the company in November 2018, when he was constructively unfairly dismissed.

Mr Allen earned nearly £74,000 a year at Paradigm Precision as quality director for nearly five years.

In a decision handed down after the hearing in Manchester, Employment Judge Mark Leach, found the firm was guilty of the discrimination, harassment and victimisation of Mr Allen on grounds of sexual orientation.

He said: “[Mr Allen] was rejected by [Paradigm Precision] as operations director and then as a candidate for the position of general manager of its Burnley site.

“He was told that he was ‘camp’ on or about March 12 and various other dates between March 12 and June 5, 2018.

“He was subject to limp-wristed hand gestures directed towards him on a number of occasions.

“He was sent an email depicting stereotypical gay characters with comments directed at the claimant.

“A copy of a passport photograph of himself with ‘I love’ handwritten underneath it, was left in the workplace for the claimant to see.

“He was asked what his favourite ‘type’ of man was at a works event.

“He was isolated by [Paradigm Precision] between late August 2018 and late October 2018 during a grievance process and the appointment of a temporary replacement.

“The claimant succeeds in his claim of constructive unfair dismissal.”

Employment Judge Leach added:

“The claimant succeeds in his claim against the first respondent, that he was subjected to a detriment because he sought to take additional adoption leave and/or because the first respondent believed that the claimant was likely to take additional adoption leave, in that he was rejected as operations director and then as a candidate for general manager of the first respondent.”

The payout, totalling £174,645, includes £26,300 for “injury towards feelings”. Mr Allen was also awarded sums for notice period, pension, past and future losses, failure by the company to follow ACAS procedures and interest.

Other claims of harassment, victimisation, detrimental treatment and direct discrimination were dismissed.