It’s galling to see an all-male panel rule ‘bald’ constitutes sexual harassment while women still have a hard time getting claims of harassment taken seriously
‘The idea that calling a man “bald” constitutes sex-based harassment that is equivalent to commenting on the size of a woman’s breasts is dubious at best and insulting at worst.’‘The idea that calling a man “bald” constitutes sex-based harassment that is equivalent to commenting on the size of a woman’s breasts is dubious at best and insulting at worst.’Last modified on Sat 14 May 2022 14.
The circumstances are as follows: Finn had worked for the British Bung Company for almost 24 years when he was fired last May. The electrician then took the company to the tribunal alleging unfair dismissal and claiming that the insults his supervisor had subjected him to were harassment related to sex under the Equality Act. The panel, led by Judge Jonathan Brain, agreed.
Don’t worry, the judges didn’t just draw on their own experiences with hair loss as they ruled, they also referred to precedent. Namely a 1995 ruling in which a man was found guilty of sex-based discrimination for commenting on the size of a woman’s breasts . That’s pretty much the same as calling a man “bald”, apparently.
I have every sympathy for Finn: being bullied at work is indefensible. Belittling someone for their appearance is indefensible. I’m glad this tribunal took Finn’s complaints seriously. However, the idea that calling a man “bald” constitutes sex-based harassment that is equivalent to commenting on the size of a woman’s breasts is dubious at best and insulting at worst.
Let’s start with the questionable claim that baldness is “inherently related to sex”. I’m sure Judge Brain has a fine legal mind but he might want to read up a bit more on hair loss., “while 85% of men will experience visible hair loss by the age of 50, so will 40% of women”.
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