A receptionist has been awarded £23,000 after being excluded from a 'Pizza Friday' order at the office, with an employment judge ruling that she was deliberately left out.
Single mum Malgorzata Lewicka had not been included in the informal staff lunch at Hartwell, a Ford car dealership.
Staff would be asked for their preferred takeaway order by managers once a month - be it pizza, fish and chips, or other fast food.
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Lewicka told the hearing she wasn't asked for her order on purpose, with a tribunal describing the incident as part of a 'campaign of victimisation'.
It began back in March 2018 when Lewicka submitted a complaint to the company about her pay, working hours and alleged sexual discrimination.
Lewicka told the tribunal that after this she was excluded from the monthly company lunch, explaining how other employees were asked but she was 'not asked if she wanted to order food or participate'.
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While Hartwell claimed Lewicka hadn't been involved because she worked part time and finished her day at 1pm, the tribunal ruled that this wasn't an excuse - having heard how Lewicka was also victimised by colleagues.
She was made redundant in January 2019 after Hartwell said her role had to be made full time.
Employment Judge Jennifer Bartlett rules that this was a form of sexual discrimination as Lewicka was a single mother, saying she suffered a 'disadvantage' and less favourable treatment as a result of being a part-time member of staff.
Lewicka had worked in Hartwell's Watford dealership, but was moved to the site in Hemel Hempstead while the Watford branch underwent a rebuild.
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She complained about sexual discrimination in the Hemel Hempstead store, while being excluded from the 'Pizza Friday' orders at the Watford site.
Bartlett ruled: "We accept that the lunches may have been ad hoc and they were informal.
"However [Lewicka] gave clear evidence that at Hemel a manager went around the site taking lunch orders and that she was included.
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"However when she moved to Watford she was not asked if she wanted to order or participate whereas other colleagues were. She could have been asked if she wanted to join in."
She added: "[Lewicka] as a single woman with child care commitments has suffered a disadvantage from [Hartwell's] requirement that Service Advisors work full-time - namely, she was selected for redundancy and dismissed."
Lewicka was awarded £23,079, including compensation for injury to feelings, as well as loss of earnings.
LADbible has reached out to Hartwell for comment.
Featured Image Credit: PA