Latest news with #NaimaMasud
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Daily Mail
Telling a female colleague they dress conservatively could get you fired for sexual harassment
Telling a female colleague that she dresses conservatively compared to her co-workers could be heard as a 'slur' and get you fired for sexual harassment, a tribunal has ruled. Describing a colleague as 'conservative' could be interpreted as 'frumpy' and a male employee who makes such a remark is guilty of 'objectifying' his co-worker, the employment judge explained. The ruling came in the case of Jessie Danquah, a business consultant at Shell, who told Naima Masud on a work night out that she was 'conservative compared to other woman at the social who have their boobs out'. Mr Danquah claimed that his comment was 'objectively true', however, employment Judge Adam Leith said the comment was 'objectively inappropriate' and likely to be a breach of workplace equality laws. Judge Leith told the tribunal in Croydon, London: 'It was objectively capable of having the effect of violating Ms Masud's dignity, and creating a degrading and humiliating environment for her. 'That was two-fold - firstly, his comments comparing Ms Masud to other colleagues suggested a degree of objectification of other female colleagues. 'And secondly, we consider that it would have been objectively reasonable for the recipient of the comment describing Ms Masud as 'conservative' and contrasting her with other female colleagues would hear that as a slur. 'When [he] used the word "conservative", that could, objectively speaking, be heard as "frumpy" or any number of other adjectives that could reasonably be regarded as somewhat less than complimentary. 'It does not matter that that was not what [he] intended, since the test for harassment looks at either purpose or effect.' Mr Danquah began working as a business consultant for FDM group, a business support services supplier in April 2022 and in August was sent on placement to Shell. The following month, he went to a work social organised by the oil and gas giant at Bar Elba, a cocktail bar in London. The hearing was told that during the evening he made a series of alleged comments to Ms Masud including telling her: 'I didn't expect people like you to be out that late'. 'When asked what he meant, he responded "Muslim girls",' the tribunal heard. Mr Danquah admitted the 'conservative' remark, telling the tribunal it was 'intending to affirm my belief that she carried herself modestly'. A few days after this incident, Ms Masud told Mr Danquah that she thought his behaviour had been 'unprofessional' and that his comments about her being conservative were 'inappropriate'. He denied acting unprofessionally, and responded 'You are conservative compared to other women at the social who have their boobs out'. Ms Masud reported the remarks to HR and when Mr Danquah found out he sent an email saying he would 'voluntarily suspend' his own work with Shell and FDM. Later that month he was suspended. In an investigation meeting Mr Danquah apologised for the 'conservative' remark but said 'It's objectively true on how someone dresses and it wasn't meant to demean her'. Bosses decided that he wouldn't return to his placement at Shell. Following this, he was found to have been 'aggressive' or even 'bullying' towards Ms Masud as he emailed her about his intention to sue her for defamation, copying in various other employees. He also 'indicated that if Ms Masud did not acknowledge receipt of his letter before claim within less than 24 hours, he would message all of her managers and colleagues with details of the investigation'. In November, he attended a disciplinary meeting in which it was found that this email was 'gross misconduct'. He was subsequently fired. Mr Danquah was separately told that his 'conservative' comment was a breach of the 'Bullying and Harassment policy and was associated with Ms Masud's sex, religion and belief'. He then sued FDM for race, sex and belief discrimination claiming that he held a 'philosophical belief in modesty'. Dismissing his claims, EJ Leith said: 'Based on the evidence before us, we are not satisfied that [Mr Danquah] genuinely held the belief he professed to believe at the relevant times. 'He may hold the belief now; the belief may even have developed as a result of his view of the events of September to December 2022. 'But there is simply no evidence before us on which we can be satisfied that he genuinely held a cogent philosophical belief at the relevant times.'
Telegraph
3 days ago
- Telegraph
Praising a female colleague's ‘conservative' attire is a ‘slur'
Telling a female colleague that they dress in a 'conservative' way could be heard as 'a slur', a tribunal has ruled. A male employee who makes such a remark is guilty of 'objectifying' his colleagues who could regard it as 'less than complimentary', an employment judge said. The ruling came in the case of Jessie Danquah, a business consultant at Shell, who was sacked after 'bullying' colleague Naima Masud. He then sued his employer for discrimination on the basis that he held a 'philosophical belief in modesty'. Judge Adam Leith, dismissing his claim, said it was 'objectively inappropriate' of him to state at a work event that his colleague was 'conservative' compared with others there 'who have their boobs out'. It could have been interpreted by Ms Masud to mean 'frumpy' or other 'less than complimentary' adjectives, he said. The tribunal in Croydon, south-east London, heard that Mr Danquah was employed in April 2022 as a £26,000-a-year business consultant for FDM Group, a business support services supplier. In August of that year he was sent on a placement to Shell, where Ms Masud worked. In September he went to a work event organised by Shell at Bar Elba, a cocktail bar in Waterloo, central London, where he made alleged comments to Ms Masud including: 'I didn't expect people like you to be out that late.' The tribunal heard that when asked what he meant, Mr Danquah replied: 'Muslim girls'. He also 'repeatedly called Ms Masud 'conservative' during the night, in reference to her personality and her hijab'. Mr Danquah said the 'conservative' remark was intended to affirm his belief that 'she carried herself modestly'. Comments were 'inappropriate' A few days after this incident, Ms Masud told Mr Danquah that she thought his behaviour had been 'unprofessional' and that his comments about her being conservative were 'inappropriate'. Ms Masud reported the remarks to HR and when Mr Danquah found out he offered to 'voluntarily suspend' his work, and was formally suspended later in September. Mr Danquah apologised for the 'conservative' remark but said it was 'objectively true' and not meant to 'demean her'. After it was decided that his placement at Shell would not continue, Mr Danquah sent an email to Ms Masud threatening to sue her for defamation. In November 2022, he attended a disciplinary meeting which found that the email amounted to 'gross misconduct'. He was subsequently fired from FDM Group over this and several other instances of misconduct. Mr Danquah was told that his 'conservative' comment was a breach of the company's 'bullying and harassment policy and was associated with Ms Masud's sex, religion and belief'. He sued FDM for race, sex and belief discrimination claiming that he held a 'philosophical belief in modesty'. Dismissing his claims, Judge Leith said: 'Based on the evidence before us, we are not satisfied that [Mr Danquah] genuinely held the belief he professed to believe at the relevant times.'
