An Englishman, who was victimised by his employer after he complained that a colleague had made a derogatory reference to his nationality, has been awarded €15,000 by the Equality Tribunal. Chris Dooley, Industry and Employment Correspondent, reports.
In a decision published today, the tribunal found that the worker was discriminated against on the grounds of race, and that his employer was vicariously liable.
It found that the company had not taken any steps to prevent harassment, and that its investigation into the incident was "totally unsatisfactory". Neither the company nor the complainant are named in the tribunal's decision.
The man had complained to his employer that a female supervisor told him: "I hate those f***ing English bastards over here."
The equality officer found that after the Englishman had complained about the remark, he was victimised by the company when it gave him a written warning for leaving work two minutes early and had ignored his attempt to appeal.
It awarded him €5,000 in compensation for the discrimination and €10,000 for the subsequent victimisation.