'Outdated idea' | 'Inherently sexist' to ask a woman why she wants to work, tribunal rules

An employment tribunal has found that questioning a woman about why she wants to work and earn money is “inherently sexist”, in a case where a former antiques shop worker was awarded over £56,000 in compensation after a litany of employment law breaches.

Ms A Pereira brought successful claims against her former employer, Wellington Antiques Limited, and its owner, Mr John Michael Wellington, including for harassment related to sex, breach of contract, wrongful dismissal, and victimisation.

The tribunal ruled that a series of personal and intrusive questions asked by Mr Wellington, including “why she wanted to work, why she needed to earn money, and [questions] about her husband”, created “a degrading environment” for Ms Pereira. In its written reasons, the tribunal found that it was “reasonable for the Claimant to have felt this way, given the inherently sexist nature of the questions”.

It continued: “The Tribunal found it was unlikely that [Mr Wellington] would have asked a male who was seeking a role why they needed to work, why they needed to earn money, or asked them questions about their wife.