Currys worker's fury over missing office mug ‘out of proportion', judge rules
A judge ruled that Adeel Habib probably gave his colleagues 'reason to believe that he viewed the loss of the mug as stealing' and that this is 'likely to have caused some resentment towards him'.
The ruling came in a case brought by Mr Habib against Currys, where he was employed between January and March 2023 as a credit support associate at their office in Poole, Dorset.
Mr Habib accused his former colleagues of 'cold-shouldering' him following the dispute over his mug, which he claimed amounted to racial discrimination.
But his claim was dismissed after a hearing in Southampton, with Judge David Hughes saying that Mr Habib was 'probably very upset' about his mug and noting that 'he can language that is apt to strike others as confrontational, even if he does not intend to be'.
The judge said: 'We find that he probably did give his colleagues reason to believe that he viewed the loss of the mug as stealing. We find that this is likely to have caused some resentment towards him.'
He added: 'Sad though it is to have to say this, it seems to us to be likely that Mr Habib is, unfortunately, ill-equipped to cope with the nuances of social interaction in the workplace, and lacks the sort of social skills that might have eased tensions that arose around the mug incident.'
Mr Habib also alleged that he had been racially discriminated against in his manager's decision to deny him five weeks' of holiday leave to attend weddings in Pakistan, in a request lodged a month after joining the company.
But this was rejected by the tribunal, with the judge finding that 'Mr Habib was denied his requested holiday leave on a reasonable application of Currys' policy and practice'.
A further claim, that he was sexually harassed by a married colleague who left a bottle of Juice Burst on his desk, which Mr Habib considered to have 'a sexual connotation', was also rejected.
However, Mr Habib was awarded three weeks' additional notice pay, with the tribunal rejecting further claims for arrears of pay and bonus payments.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Auto Express
13 minutes ago
- Auto Express
The Electric Car Grant has shot the UK car industry in the foot
Talk about a great way to ruin good news. With electric car take-up growing far more slowly than required to hit the Government's ZEV mandate targets, the car industry has been crying out for incentives to help boost interest in what is still very much new tech to most drivers. Advertisement - Article continues below So it's impressive to do what a whole sector has been calling for but still shoot yourself in the foot with a scheme so complicated that no-one understands how it's going to work, or which cars will be eligible, days after it's announced. It's a shambles, or as one senior UK car industry exec put it to me last week, a 'flipping nightmare'. I also hear that the E-mail address that manufacturers need to use to register their cars wasn't even working when the announcement of the scheme went live. Then there's the issue of cars just over the £37,000 threshold, which is oddly close to, yet not the same as the Government's VED expensive-car cut-off of £40k. Brands will be frantically recalculating to see how many of the 15 or so cars within £3,000 of the £37k line could be reduced in price to become eligible. That's if they jump through the required eco hoops to make the cut for £3,750 or £1,500 grants. Renault's Scenic dropped by £200 within 48 hours of the announcement to be a fiver under the threshold. Provided Renault ticks those secret eco boxes. We've ended up with a scheme seemingly designed with what some might see as the noble aim of helping European brands to compete with Chinese rivals under the guise of environmental credentials. It seems – although any level of actual detail or evidence of a full plan from the Department for Transport would be helpful – that the environmental aspect of the grant is designed to increase transparency and encourage more local production. But because the policy apparently wasn't fully formed when it was announced, we don't really know. That causes a ripple through the market. EV purchases dived through the floor in the days following the announcement as buyers wait, potentially for weeks, to see if their prospective new EV gets a whopping discount. So the Government's move to boost EV sales could have harpooned them in the short term. Which is careless. Buy a car with Auto Express. Our nationwide dealer network has some fantastic cars on offer right now with new, used and leasing deals to choose from... Find a car with the experts Range Rover's secret mid-size EV: Inside its £500m factory Range Rover's secret mid-size EV: Inside its £500m factory We take an exclusive look inside JLR's revamped Liverpool site as the brand gears up for EV production Car Deal of the Day: The Audi A3 Saloon may be posh but not at this price Car Deal of the Day: The Audi A3 Saloon may be posh but not at this price It's posh, well appointed, and refined to drive – the Audi A3 Saloon is our Deal of the Day for July 18 Chinese cars will take over as Britain's best sellers Chinese cars will take over as Britain's best sellers With a dramatic rise in sales, Mike Rutherford thinks it's only a matter of time before Chinese cars outsell all other countries in the UK
Auto Express
13 minutes ago
- Auto Express
Car Deal of the Day: this mid-size French SUV is a steal at £188 per month
Comfortable to drive; hybrid power Spacious interior; well equipped Just £188.50 a month Almost overnight, Renault has gone from having hardly any SUVs in its line-up to offering one of broadest range of high-riders in the business. The Renault Symbioz is the newest of the lot and offers pretty much everything a family buyer could want. One of those requirements is value for money. This mid-size SUV is one of the cheapest of the lot right now, even undercutting such family favourites as the Nissan Qashqai. Advertisement - Article continues below Through the Auto Express Find a Car service, is offering the Symbioz for just £188.50 a month, giving you a lot of bang for your buck. It's a two-year deal that requires a £2,611.94 initial payment, while mileage is capped at 5,000 miles a year. Nudging this up to a more flexible 8,000 a year only costs £14.46 extra a month. This deal gets you a Symbioz in Techno trim. It may be the entry-level model, but it's packed with equipment. The standard list of features includes 18-inch alloys, a 10.25-inch digital driver's display and a 10.4-inch touchscreen with an excellent Google operating system. Powering this Symbioz is a full-hybrid system, comprising a 1.6-litre petrol engine and a 1.2kWh battery. It blends performance and frugality very well, giving a smooth and refined driving experience, plus wallet-pleasing fuel economy of more than 61mpg. The Symbioz isn't a thrilling car to drive, but nor should it be. It offers the type of driving experience that's perfectly in-step with its customers' needs: safe, composed and comfortable driving manners. The interior is a nice place to be, too. It's nicely trimmed and well put together, and it's pretty practical. The rear bench slides forwards, opening up more space in the boot – an impressive 624 litres to be precise. The Car Deal of the Day selections we make are taken from our own Auto Express Find A Car deals service, which includes the best current offers from car dealers and leasing companies around the UK. Terms and conditions apply, while prices and offers are subject to change and limited availability. If this deal expires, you can find more top Renault Symbioz leasing offers from leading providers on our Renault Symbioz page. Check out the Renault Symbioz deal or take a look at our previous Car Deal of the Day selection here…
The Independent
13 minutes ago
- The Independent
Coalition outlines plans to disrupt JD Vance's Cotswolds holiday
US Vice President JD Vance is expected to visit the Cotswolds next month with his family, shortly after Donald Trump completes a five-day tour of his golf courses in Scotland. The Stop Trump Coalition has announced plans to protest Vance's visit, stating he is 'every bit as unwelcome' in the UK as President Donald Trump. The coalition, which includes trade unions and anti-Trump demonstrators, is already organising protests against Mr Trump's visit in Aberdeen, Edinburgh, London, and Windsor. A spokesperson for the Stop Trump Coalition indicated that Mr Vance will encounter 'resistance waiting', even in the Cotswolds. Mr Vance's previous holiday in Vermont was disrupted by pro-Ukraine protesters in March, reportedly forcing his family to move to an undisclosed location.
