Mrs G North v Vorboss Limited — 2023

Mrs G North was employed by Vorboss Limited as a mobile field support driver from 7 June 2021 until 5 April 2022, and she was on sick leave from 6 January 2022. The tribunal recorded that her claim form and later email raised complaints of harassment on grounds of sex, direct sex discrimination and direct race discrimination. It also recorded that her unfair dismissal claim was subsequently withdrawn.

At the public preliminary hearing, the tribunal did not decide liability. It listed eight discrimination allegations or arguments as having little reasonable prospect of success under Rule 39 of the Employment Tribunals Rules of Procedure 2013 and ordered a deposit of £20 in respect of each. The allegations included the August 2021 collection incident involving driver H, the extension of probation, the 10% bonus, being asked to clean the toilet area in the welfare vehicle, non-promotion, two incidents in which an Asian male engineer got into the claimant's van and prayed, and a dismissal-related race allegation.

The tribunal said it had regard to the claimant's means and concluded that a £20 deposit for each allegation would not impede access to justice. It recorded that if the claimant wished to proceed with all claims, the total deposit would be £300. Case management orders were made separately.