Sainsbury’s faces £60,000 award following sex discrimination tribunal

Following the Sainsbury’s sex discrimination tribunal awarding nearly £60,000 to former manager Deborah Oziel, Spencer West employment law partner Jonathan Mansfield provided his expert commentary on the case in HR Magazine, explaining key lessons for workplace policies and employer responsibility.

Following the Sainsbury’s sex discrimination tribunal ruling awarding nearly £60,000 to former manager Deborah Oziel, Spencer West employment law partner Jonathan Mansfield shared his insights on the case in HR Magazine.”

Oziel, who worked as a customer trading manager, faced repeated misogynistic abuse from a male colleague, including being called a “bitch” in front of staff and customers, alongside threats of intimidation. The tribunal found that Sainsbury’s mishandling of her complaints made the situation worse, blaming Oziel and failing to properly investigate her safety concerns.

Jonathan Mansfield, employment law partner at Spencer West, spoke to HR Magazine about the case, noting the lessons for employers:

“The handling of matters made things far worse for Sainsbury’s. There was a rare extra award of aggregated damages of £2,000 because the claimant was blamed for the perpetrator’s behaviour.”

The ruling underscores the importance of clear policies, manager training, and a proactive workplace culture to prevent harassment.

Read the full HR Magazine article here.