The Labour Court found that a company discriminated against a worker by requiring her to wear a uniform and dismissing her when she refused. It ordered the company to pay £4,000 compensation. The order was signed on 18 December 1995.
The worker was an accounts assistant. She said female staff had to wear uniforms while male staff did not, and her contract made no mention of a uniform. The company said its dress code supported its image and that it had tried to find a compromise before ending her employment.
The Court found that a male employee working in similar circumstances was not required to wear a uniform. It concluded the requirement applied to the worker because she was a woman and amounted to discrimination in her dismissal. The Court found she had suffered a loss of career opportunity, anxiety and distress, and set compensation at £4,000.