Episode 34: Transgender employee wins discrimination claim against employer for ‘deadnaming’; Citibank’s ‘two-sandwich dismissal’ & stereotyping in the workplace

The Lawdown: Employment Law Podcast Series from CM Murray LLP

We are delighted to share Episode 34 of The Lawdown, our regular podcast discussing the latest key employment, discrimination and partnership law-related news stories, and the interesting legal issues behind them!

In our latest episode of The Lawdown, Partners Emma Bartlett and Beth Hale discuss the following:

1. The Royal Kingston-upon-Thames Council has been ordered by the Employment Tribunal to pay £25,000 in compensation for, amongst other things, failing to update a transgender employee’s name in their system – this is known as deadnaming. We discuss an employer’s duty of care when supporting gender transition in the workplace and the implications of the Tribunal’s findings on employers.

2. Citibank wins an unfair dismissal claim brought by an employee who claimed for two sandwiches and coffees for him and his partner during a business trip. We discuss the relationship of trust and expectation of honesty between employers and employees, particularly in a regulated employment environment.

3. Daniel Ogunshakin, a BBC Sports Journalist, retells his story of being told that he must cut his dreadlocks to progress in his career, in light of reports that former Premier League striker Gifton Noel-Williams has had similar experiences whilst attempting to break into football management. We discuss how racial stereotyping and dress and appearance policies in the workplace can potentially give rise to discrimination claims.

4. Cardiff University Students' Union bans men wearing blue shirts and chinos from certain club nights. We discuss the issue of stereotyping people based on their appearance.