The HR Dept Weekly Roundup

Former Flight Attendant Claims Hair-raising Discrimination

A former flight attendant is causing quite a buzz, claiming she was shown the exit by Jet2 over her "extreme" hairstyle. Marion McKay says her short haircut was deemed too outlandish, even though her male colleagues were sporting similar dos without a hitch. She's now seeking ￡22,000 from the airline for emotional distress and loss of earnings.

Jet2, on the other hand, is flying high with their defence, denying any wrongdoing. McKay's lawyer argues that she faced harsher treatment just because she's a woman, insisting that the company's hairstyle rules should be as smooth and even as a well-combed coif for both sexes. The tribunal's verdict is set to land in 25 days. Read the full article here .

Why Women Leave Jobs

In April and May of 2023, Encompass Equality surveyed about 4,000 women to understand how likely they were to leave their current jobs and what factors influenced their decisions. Focusing on 15 key factors known to impact retention, women were asked two things: how much each factor influenced their decision-making, and how they felt about it at that moment.

On average, 38% of respondents were likely to leave their employer within the next two years. Surprisingly, the biggest factors weren’t personal issues like childcare or menopause, though these did play a role. More critical were the levels of support from line managers, the organisational culture, and the team dynamics.

This suggests that to keep talented women, employers need to make systemic and cultural changes rather than just providing support for individual issues. Read the full article here or download to research report here .

Unemployment Rates Hit A New High

Hold onto your hats! The unemployment rate has unexpectedly skyrocketed to its highest level in two and a half years. According to official figures, the rate jumped to 4.4% in the three months leading up to April 2024, a level not seen since September 2021.

Despite the rise in unemployment, wage growth is still flexing its muscles, with earnings continuing to outpace prices. Meanwhile, over a fifth of working-age folks are not actively looking for work. Read more here .

Tesco Manager’s Questionable Gifts Lead to Unfair Dismissal Tribunal

A Tesco manager was unfairly dismissed after giving a female colleague a vibrator for "secret Santa" and another sex toy for her birthday, according to an employment tribunal.

Razaq's cheeky gifts to Kerry Cliffe at a Peterborough Tesco branch led to his sacking for gross misconduct, with Tesco accusing him of "abusing his position of trust". Even though Cliffe acknowledged it was all in jest, Razaq was still shown the door.

The court revealed that other staff members were also handing out sex toys, making the whole situation even more eyebrow-raising. The judge criticised Tesco for not taking "basic steps" in their investigation, leading Razaq to successfully claim unfair dismissal and race discrimination. Read more here.

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