Keep employees down

The Leeds employment tribunal this week dished out some handy advice on how unscrupulous university employers can avoid discrimination claims.

Ruling that Huddersfield University sexually discriminated against lecturer Penelope Wolff, the Leeds tribunal chair said that the university could have employed the "duff employer syndrome" defence. This is "an argument that although they may have treated the employee badly and that treatment may appear on a first glance discriminatory, the reality is that they treat all employees badly and bad treatment does not equate to discriminatory treatment".

Unfortunately for the university, it did not offer this defence.