Aspers Casino in Stratford City
(Picture: Google maps)A Londoner at one of Britain's biggest casinos has won £74,000 after a tribunal ruled she was victimised by colleagues excluding her from a work night out.
Rita Leher, 51, took Aspers casino in Stratford to tribunal after she said she felt “shunned” by colleagues who organised a work outing in front of her, to which she was the only one not invited, at Las Iguanas.
The cashier, who is of mixed black African heritage, was not invited because she had raised a discrimination complaint against another employee, the tribunal ruled.
Ms Leher, who has since left the casino, was awarded £74,113 by an employment tribunal after winning claims of unfair dismissal, victimisation, and age and race discrimination at work.
In a ruling published Wednesday, Employment Judge Sarah Moor said: “We unanimously agree that being excluded from discussions at work about a social occasion amongst colleagues when one would normally be included would subject an employee to a detriment at work.
"A reasonable employee would consider that such exclusion was to their disadvantage because they had lost the opportunity to bond with colleagues on that social occasion.
"The occasion was sufficiently linked to work by the fact that it was amongst work colleagues and was discussed about at work and would provide the opportunity for team bonding.”
Ms Leher began working at the super-casino in November 2011, which is the second biggest casino in Britain and employs around 560 people.
The tribunal also ruled the casino discriminated against her by not replying to a request for a refresher training course, which was given to a younger, white employee, when he requested it.
Among its other findings were that the claimant was victimised by a member of staff at the casino after raising a grievance of discrimination, by threatening her with disciplinary action if she made further discrimination complaints “with insufficient evidence”.
Separate claims of victimisation and in relation to holiday pay were among those which were not successful.
Ms Leher was awarded a total of £74,113.65 for injury to feelings and financial loss.
