'Genuine interest' | Staff asking black worker about her name, hair & food wasn't racist, tribunal rules

A black employee, who was asked by co-workers if her name and hair were real, has lost an employment tribunal appeal with claims of race discrimination.

Gifty Robinson, a Canadian of Ghanaian descent, had been employed by Smile Publications Ltd as a sales rep from 3 October to 21 November 2022. 

Robinson had asserted that, during the brief employment period, she was subjected to a series of racially insensitive comments by colleagues.

Among the most striking of her claims were that line manager Jane Watkins questioned whether her hair was a wig, commented “it’s too dark in here” (which Robinson interpreted as a reference to her skin colour), and asked if Gifty was her real name or a nickname.