Claimant v Clarion Housing Group Limited

Outcome

Facts

The claimant, a black African customer support officer employed since 2014, brought race discrimination claims after being investigated and given a first written warning for call avoidance and internet misuse in March 2022. He alleged this was part of a vendetta following a grievance he raised in November 2019. The investigation began after contact centre advisors reported silent calls and an audit identified the claimant as having a high volume of short duration calls between September-November 2021. The claimant was given a written warning which resulted in him losing his bonus and pay rise. He appealed unsuccessfully.

Decision

The tribunal dismissed all claims of race discrimination. The tribunal found that the investigation, disciplinary process, and treatment were all for legitimate business reasons. A hypothetical non-black African comparator in similar circumstances would have been treated the same way. The tribunal rejected the claimant's theory that this was a vendetta following his 2019 grievance, finding no evidence that the managers involved bore any grudge.

Practical note

Legal authorities cited