'Ostracism' | Workers' refusal to take lift with black colleague exposes HR failings on race

An accountant has won a discrimination case after a judge ruled that several colleagues refused to get in a lift with her because of her race.

According to an employment tribunal, Cheryl Spragg, an account manager at Richemont UK who is of Jamaican heritage, held the lift door open but was “deliberately ignored” by four colleagues, who were even alleged to have pulled faces at each other during the incident, while one made a “whipping noise”, according to the legal proceedings.

Spragg’s colleagues denied any racially motivated actions, claiming they were playing a “racing game” to the bottom of the London building. But Spragg successfully sued the firm for race harassment, race discrimination, and victimisation, with the judge finding that the incident was “offensive and humiliating” and “violated her dignity”.

One worker at the firm, which owns huge brands such as jewellery brand Cartier, gave evidence to the hearing that the firm’s London office was full of “casual racism”.