Jaguar Land Rover ordered to pay €198,000 to gender-fluid employee in workplace discrimination case

In the landmark case, a gender-fluid engineer has been compensated after she was called "it" and repeatedly harassed by colleagues.

gender fluid employee a feminine person sits at at desk with hands over their head

A judge has awarded Rose Taylor £180,000 (€198,531) in damages following the hearing in which she claimed her colleagues at Jaguar abused and harassed when she came out as gender-fluid while an employee at Jaguar Land Rover.

While Jaguar Land Rover originally disputed Taylor’s claims, they have now apologised and said it will use the tribunal’s outcome to inform its “diversity and inclusion strategy”.

Speaking after the tribunal, Taylor’s barrister said she was satisfied with the case’s outcomes stating:

“The claimant is very pleased and also about the fact that the case could make a difference in the future,” White said. “Hopefully that will mean others may not suffer difficulties in the workplace as she did.”

Ms Taylor came out as gender-fluid in 2017 while she was still an employee at Jaguar Land Rover.

The tribunal heard details of how she was met with an onslaught of insults and abusive jokes from co-workers after she started wearing women’s clothes.

One colleague asked if her outfit “was for Halloween” while another told her: “It’s nice to see you in this attire. You have cracking legs.”

When she suggested that a co-worker wear a rainbow lanyard, he laughed.

The tribunal also heard how Ms Taylor was told to use the staff disabled toilet and that a female colleague told her she was “not normal”.

The landmark case is the first of its kind in the UK in recognising the rights of non-binary and gender-fluid people.

Judge Pauline Hughes said that it is her hope that Ms Taylor’s case would bring about positive change in the movement for equality.

Addressing the tribunal she said:

“Everyone in the room can think of a person who has made a difference in their life. The entire history of equality and equality movement has individuals such as the claimant who have made a difference.”

© 2020 GCN (Gay Community News). All rights reserved.

Support GCN

GCN has been a vital, free-of-charge information service for Ireland’s LGBTQ+ community since 1988.

During this global COVID pandemic, we like many other organisations have been impacted greatly in the way we can do business and produce. This means a temporary pause to our print publication and live events and so now more than ever we need your help to continue providing this community resource digitally.

GCN is a registered charity with a not-for-profit business model and we need your support. If you value having an independent LGBTQ+ media in Ireland, you can help from as little as €1.99 per month. Support Ireland’s free, independent LGBTQ+ media.

0 comments. Please sign in to comment.