'Why?' Ferrari stunned as excluding colleagues from drinks 'could be regarded as bullying'
LBC radio host Nick Ferrari was left shocked when an employment lawyer claimed that excluding a colleague from work drinks could be regarded as "bullying" and "a disciplinary offence".
Nick Ferrari shocked over ‘bullying’ work tribunal
LBC radio presenter Nick Ferrari reacted to the news that a casino worker won £74K at an employment tribunal after one of her colleagues did not invite her out to drink. When told by employment lawyer Gillian Howard that excluding a colleague can be considered an act of “bullying” and “a disciplinary offence”, he could nit believe his ears and confusingly asked “why?!” after jokingly pointing out “it’s bullying”.
Referring to the casino cashier case, Mr Ferrari asked: “Let’s say this woman had not raised a complaint.
“Is it an offence to not invite someone to work drinks?
Ms Howard responded: “It might be an internal disciplinary offence."
Perplexed, he presented a made-up scenario with fictional colleague Clive: “Why?
“I’m taking the rest of the team out for drinks.
“I never liked Clive.
“Why have I got to take him?!
“He’s a pain in the rear.
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Ms Howard explained: “That could be bullying.”
Mr Ferrari reacted: “It’s not bullying.
“I don’t want to talk to him.
“He’s boring!”
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She reiterated: “Excluding one colleague because you don’t like them could be an act of bullying under your employer’s rules.
“So you do have to be sensitive”.
Rita Leher, 51, said she was “shunned” by her colleagues at Aspers Casino in East London and was the only one not invited to the cocktail bar for after-work drinks.
Ms Leher has now been awarded £74,113 in compensation after a tribunal judge ruled that deliberately excluding a colleague from work drinks amounts to “victimisation”.