Mr. O Osomo v London Borough of Lambeth — 2020

The tribunal accepted jurisdiction and gave the claimant the benefit of the doubt on limitation, concluding it could hear all complaints. It then considered the pleaded allegations of direct sex discrimination and harassment.

On the facts, the tribunal found the claimant had been recognised in the same way as other team members and rejected his contention that others were celebrated while he was not. It also found the alleged July 2020 comment about mothers taking children to hospital was not made. In relation to the end of the agency engagement, the tribunal accepted the respondent's evidence that there were genuine performance and attitude concerns, that Mr Oloyede told the claimant the secondee was returning because he wanted to give a more positive explanation, and that HR was not involved in a cover-up.

The tribunal further found that the later withdrawal of the proposed role in the income maximisation team was not caused by anything said by Mr Oloyede or Ms Siddique. It accepted Mr Rexha's evidence that he withdrew the role because he chose another candidate whose skills he already knew. As the factual matters relied on for discrimination and harassment were not made out, both claims were dismissed.