A hairdresser has lost a sex discrimination case after her boss gave her £100 for new clothes and offered to give her a better haircut because her appearance was ‘unacceptable’.
Luke Daniels collared Lisa Thompson after she arrived to work in untidy clothes, including leggings and a long, black cardigan.
The company owner handed her £100 to buy herself nice clothes and offered her a free treatment worth £150 to ‘enhance the appearance of her hair’.
Ms Thompson, later called “Humiliated”, took Mr Daniels before an employment tribunal. She claimed that she was discriminated against because of her sex.
Lisa Thompson was a stylist at Urban Angels salon in Navenby, Lincolnshire, where owner Luke Daniels ticked her off for her appearance
Ms Thompson was in her 40s when she claimed Mr Daniels said that her hair was dreadful and her clothes were poor. However, the judge rejected her allegations.
Tribunal heard that Ms. Thompson had worked for Urban Angels Salon in Navenby Lincolnshire for 16 month when she arrived at work looking ‘untidy’ on June 12, 2019.
Following a conversation with Mr Daniels about Ms Thompson’s past employer, and her chewing gum, Ms Thompson’s injured foot was apparently pulled to the side.
He claimed that she had been wearing makeup and that he yelled at her. Daniels said her hair was messy and told her to stop trying to look like Urban Angels.
According to the Nottingham Tribunal, Daniels was not in his 40s when he made these comments. However, he addressed Daniels’ appearance as a supportive.
Kimbra Welch was an Employment Judge. She stated that Mr Daniels spoke professionally to Ms Thompson because he was concerned about the image she had presented. This included chewing gum, derogatory comments regarding other salons, and her untidy appearance.
He denied that the hair of her was unattractive, that her clothes were dirty or that her make-up and facial features weren’t suitable for their business.
‘We accept that Mr Daniels made comments about her appearance, including her hair and behaviour in the salon, and that he gave her £100 to buy work clothes and offered her a free hairdo.
“While Ms. Thompson may have been upset about the June 12 events, as nobody would like to hear them say they behaved inappropriately or were unsatisfactory, it is not our belief that her sex and age caused this.
After accessing the salon’s computer systems using unauthorised codes, Ms Thompson was terminated.
Although she tried to sue LG Daniels Ltd, which trades under Urban Angels, claiming that the June 12 events led to her firing, Judge Welch determined her computer breach was the reason for her firing.
Alle claims she made were rejected.