Max Lansman represented 2 women in successful Employment Tribunal proceedings against their former employer, the owner of a GP practice.
Their claims were for:
- whistleblowing detriment
- unfair and wrongful dismissal
- race, sex and religious discrimination
- victimisation, and
- unlawful deductions from wages.
Both relatively junior members of staff had been subjected to regular racist and sexist harassment. They were dismissed after raising concerns about their mistreatment.
Legal complexity
One of the legal complications was that ownership of the GP practice was transferred to a new owner soon after the women’s employment was terminated.
One individual against whom the women made allegations transferred to the new owner. And initially, the employment tribunal decided that liability for that individual’s actions lay with the new owner.
However, following a decision in Sean Pong Tyres Limited v Moore [2024] EAT 1, the tribunal reconsidered its initial findings.
Max represented the claimants at the reconsideration hearing and after hearing his detailed submissions, the tribunal reversed its earlier decision.
Employment tribunal findings
The tribunal found that:
- the practice manager and supervisor routinely used racial slurs and made sexist remarks against the 2 women
- the women were dismissed after returning from sick leave in 1 case and bereavement leave in the other – which amounted to victimisation
- the practice also discriminated against patients, prioritising appointments for Asian patients over others.
The tribunal awarded a total of £135,349.80 to the 2 women, including £40,000 to each claimant for injury to feelings
Read the full judgment in Shuayb and Birdi v Haringey GP Group.
Max was instructed by Atkinson Rose.