Tribunal awards gay aerospace worker £175,000 over sexual orientation harassment at Burnley company

Mr Peter Allen (41) took Hapton-based Paradigm Precision Burnley Ltd to an employment tribunal in Manchester for contructive dismissal after he was ejected by the first respondent as Operations Director and then as a candidate for the position of General Manager.

Mr Allen, who is gay, was also subjected to "limp-wristed hand gestures", inappropriate emails and told he was camp while working at the company which manufactures parts for the aerospace industry. In total he was awarded £174,645 following the tribunal last month.

Speaking to the Burnley Express he said: "The problems started when I told senior colleagues I was planning to adopt a child with my husband, which would have meant taking 12 months off work.

"I had worked at the company from September 2012 without any problems and was promoted two years later to Director of Quality for International Operations. It was in 2018 that I was approached for the position of General Manager but when I mentioned my husand and I were thinking of adopting a child the offer disappeared."

Mr Allen, who is now self-employed, eventually resigned from the company November 2018 and took them to a tribunal for constructive dismissal, which has now found in his favour.

An employment tribunal judge ruled that Mr Allen was subjected to harassment, discrimination and victimisation based on his sexual orientation.

Finding Paradigm guilty, tribunal Judge Mark Leach said: “He was told that he was ‘camp’ on or about March 12th and various other dates between March 12th and June 5th, 2018.

“He was subject to limp-wristed hand gestures directed towards him on a number of occasions. He was sent an email depicting two stereotypical gay characters with comments directed at the claimant.

“He was asked what his favourite ‘type’ of man was at a work’s event on or about April 20th, 2018. The claimant was rejected by Paradigm as operations director and then as a candidate for the position of general manager of its Burnley site.

“The claimant succeeds in his claim of constructive unfair dismissal.”

Judge Leach rejected further claims of harassment, victimisation, detrimental treatment and direct discrimination.

Mr Allen added: "I have come out of this experience a different person. I thought I was a confident person but I really questioned myself during this period.

"I felt like I was a teenager again when I first came out as being gay. Some of the comments I received were frankly childish and ridiculous. It also questioned my faith in senior management in big companies.

"The money sounds a lot but most of it is actually loss of earnings. I hope that the tribunal's judgement sends a message to other companies that people cannot be treated the way I was just because of sexual orientation. It should not be happening in this day and age."

A spokesman for Paradigm said: "We are disappointed with the decision of the Employment Tribunal. We are unable to comment any further as we are taking legal advice regarding a potential appeal of the Tribunal’s decision."