UK Woman Wins Rs 34 Lakh Compensation After Colleague Compares Her To Darth Vader

NDTV

09-05-2025

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Summary is AI generated, newsroom reviewed.
A UK woman received £28,989 in compensation for workplace comparison.
The tribunal ruled the Darth Vader comparison caused harm to Ms. Rooke.
Judge found the nickname was not perceived positively by the employees.
A UK woman has won almost 30,000 pounds (approximately Rs 34 lakh) in compensation after being compared to 'Star Wars' villain Darth Vader by her co-worker. According to the BBC, Lorna Rooke, an NHS blood donation worker, brought a complaint against her co-worker, who had taken a Star Wars-themed online personality test on her behalf and told colleagues that Ms Rooke fell into Darth Vader's category. She claimed that the comparison made her unpopular among coworkers and contributed to her decision to resign a month later.
Now, an employment tribunal in Croydon, south London, found that the incident was a "Detriment", meaning it caused harm or a negative impact to Ms Rooke. "Darth Vader is a legendary villain of the Star Wars series, and being aligned with his personality is insulting," employment judge Kathryn Ramsden said, per the BBC.
The tribunal heard that in 2003, Ms Rooke began working for the NHS Blood and Transplant service as a training and practice supervisor. In 2021, members of her team took a Star Wars-themed Myers-Briggs questionnaire as a team-building exercise. Ms Rooke did not participate as she had to take a personal phone call. When she returned, her colleague Amander Harber had filled out he test on her behalf and announced she had the same personality as the 'Star Wars' villain.
The Darth Vader category was described in the quiz as a "very focused individual who brings the team together". However, the judge was not convinced that the categorisation had any positive attributes. Judge Kathryn Ramsden said that on the basis that the test was done on the perception of another colleague and then shared with the group, it was "little wonder" that Ms Rooke was upset by it.
The tribunal rejected Ms Rooke's claim that the "Darth Vader incident" prompted her to quit her job.
Ms Rooke won the case for detriment after a protected disclosure but lost claims for unfair dismissal, disability discrimination and failure to make reasonable adjustments. She was awarded 28,989.61 pounds in compensation, as per The Independent.
"We acknowledge the outcome of the tribunal. We are committed to maintaining and continually improving a respectful and inclusive workplace for all colleagues," an NHS spokesperson said.