Calling an employee a grandmother – even if they are – can be discrimination, tribunal rules

CALLING an employee a grandmother can amount to age discrimination even if they are one, a tribunal has ruled.

Anne Dopson, 62, launched a legal challenge after she was referred to as a grandparent in a motoring review in May 2017. The former sales director took offence at the piece by Steve

Moody, a publisher at Stag Publications, in an edition of Fleet World magazine which critiqued a Renault Kadjar.

Mrs Dopson complained the review was “a dig at my age” and had “raised a laugh in the office” despite the fact she has a grandson, the tribunal was told. The grandmother of three later resigned from her job and claimed age discrimination against her employers.

A judge ruled the review was “detrimental” and “less favourable” because it pointed out her age, but the claim failed because it was lodged out of time.

The review, read out at an employment hearing, stated: “So the Kadjar has gone back after a year of service on our fleet. In that time myself, Luke Wikner, Nat Middleton, Alex Grant and Anne Dopson have all spent a fair amount of time behind the wheel, which basically means it has had three spells as family transport, one as a ride for the bachelor about town and the other as comfy wheels for a grandmother. You can choose who applies to which category.”

Mrs Dopson’s age discrimination claim failed as it was deemed an “isolated incident” by the tribunal because it was published over three months before she made her claim and outside the “primary time limit”.

Her claims of unfair dismissal and wrongful dismissal also failed and were dismissed. The tribunal concluded that whether she is entitled to any unpaid holiday or commission payments will be determined at a later date.