A woman who claims that her employer discriminated against her on the grounds of her age has been awarded more than £3,000 by an employment tribunal.
Anna Stirrup, who was 50 at the time the complaint was made, used to work at Summers Dry Cleaners in Cookstown. She was a shop manager who worked five days a week.
Ms Stirrup alleged in the lawsuit that her employer and the owner of the business, Ufuoma Obahor, frequently made ageist remarks to the extent that it became harassment. She sued him for age discrimination and sought damages for injured feelings and loss of earnings.
A statement issued by the Fair Employment Tribunal upheld that Mr Obahor was fixated on Ms Stirrup’s age and that he had made ageist remarks to or about her. The statement makes mention of one occasion, when:
“He [Mr Obahor] told her that at her age she should be slowing down and was too old to be working five days a week, and that at 50 she was too old.”
Ms Stirrup has now been awarded £3,780 in compensation, along with £2,087 for loss of earnings.
As a small business owner, Mr Obahor may have faced financial difficulties in meeting the compensation payment to Ms Stirrup unless he had professional insurance in place. This is why it is now a legal requirement for all businesses to take out a minimum level of employers’ liability insurance cover.