December 14, 2022
2 mins read

UK university loses discrimination case against Indian lecturer

She added that there was no adequate workplace support for her while she was caring for her critically-ill child…reports Asian Lite News

 An Indian lecturer has won a discrimination case against a UK university whose selection process, according to an employment tribunal, was “tainted by race discrimination”.

The University of Portsmouth failed to reappoint Dr Kajal Sharma for a job she had been doing for five years, replacing her with a white candidate with no experience of the role, The Guardian reported.

While 11 out of her 12 white colleagues were reappointed after their contracts ended, Sharma, hired as a senior lecturer in 2016, was not given her job back.

The tribunal in its judgement reprimanded the university for ignoring the fact that “a senior member of the academic staff who was a BAME (Black, Asian, and minority ethnic) woman was not reappointed to a post”.

At the case hearing in Southampton, Sharma informed the tribunal that she had a “difficult” relationship with her manager, Dr Gary Rees.

Citing an instance, she said Rees had asked her to do university work in the immediate aftermath of her father’s death.

She added that there was no adequate workplace support for her while she was caring for her critically-ill child.

Rees encouraged a white colleague to pursue an additional qualification but did not support Sharma when she wanted to do the same, the tribunal was told.

While reapplying for the job as her contract neared end, Sharma appeared before an interview panel, which had Rees, and lost out to a rival candidate supported by him.

The tribunal said that the fact that she was not reappointed to her job was “extraordinary” and should have raised questions.

“Instead, the fact that a senior member of the academic staff who was a BAME woman was not reappointed to a post was ignored by the university.”

The tribunal ruled that Sharma was the victim of subconscious discrimination and described the selection process as being “tainted by race discrimination”, The Guardian reported.

It concluded that Rees had treated Sharma “in a way that we considered was different to the way he would have treated others, in areas such as support over her father’s death, and her child’s illness.

“We conclude that his involvement in the recruitment process and his subconscious bias means that the failure to recruit the claimant was an act of race discrimination.”

According to a 2022 TUC (The Trades Union Congress) survey, more than 120,000 workers from minority ethnic backgrounds quit their jobs because of racism.

The landmark survey found that more than one in four workers from black and other minority ethnic backgrounds faced racist jokes at work in the last five years and 35 per cent said it left them feeling less confident at work.

ALSO READ-Indian American appointed Tufts University President

Previous Story

Retail inflation: War won’t be over soon

Next Story

Reliance tops Wizikey’s Newsmaker charts

Latest from -Top News

Border Sealed, Hopes on Hold

A Hindu family from Balochistan’s Sibi was reportedly denied entry into India after the closure of border crossing….reports Asian Lite News Pakistan and India’s decision to shut down the Wagah-Attari border crossing

West visits Cambodia to strengthen ties 

The visit also addresses shared security concerns, including combating serious organised crime and human trafficking, and future defence cooperation initiatives  The UK and Cambodia are collaborating to advance climate initiatives and promote

UK and Ukraine deepen community ties  

 Thousands of school children across the UK and Ukraine have applied to take part in a landmark 100 Year Partnership programme between the two countries   Thousands of school children across the
Go toTop

Don't Miss

Nirav Modi seeks to appeal against extradition

Nirav Modi who had 14 days to appeal the decision

UK donates more Covid jabs to Bangladesh

While welcoming the second consignment of vaccines donation from the