A law firm has paid a former staff member 8,500 in damages after finding that a colleague’s remark on her grandmother’s Chinese heritage amounted to racial harassment.

However, Ms S Sutherland’s claims of constructive unfair dismissal, direct discrimination, victimisation and other claims of harassment against Watkins Solicitors all failed at Bristol Employment Tribunal.

The claimant, who described herself as a black British woman, began working part-time at the Bristol-based firm in July 2018 as an administrative assistant in the conveyancing department, which was headed by Angela Dunlop.

In September 2018, a Mr Bridge, a friend of Ms Dunlop’s, joined the firm as a paralegal.

The tribunal recorded that Mr Bridge was “‘chatty’ in the office and had a tendency to be loud… he also had, from the outset of his employment, a tendency to make inappropriate comments”.

Ms Dunlop would “sometimes intervene when she thought he might say something inappropriate”.

In February 2019, Ms Sutherland mentioned that her grandmother was of Chinese heritage. Mr Bridge responded: “Does she own a chip shop, all Chinese own chip shops?”

Ms Sutherland felt embarrassed and upset, and found the comment offensive. A few weeks later, she told the firm’s HR manager but “begged her not to raise it with anyone else”.

However, the HR manager informally told managing partner Beverley Watkins, who was angry and “disgusted” by the comment. She asked Ms Dunlop to tell Mr Bridge that what he said was...

Read Full Story: https://www.legalfutures.co.uk/latest-news/law-firm-pays-ex-employee-8500-ove...