UK: HMRC worker who branded her female boss 'sexist' because she wanted a granddaughter to buy pink dresses for loses unfair dismissal claim

Article here. Excerpt:

'A HMRC worker who branded her female boss 'sexist' when she said in a meeting that she wanted a granddaughter so she could buy 'pink dresses' has lost a discrimination claim, an employment tribunal heard.

Rachel Gladstone demanded that team leader Sandra Edwards apologise, asking that she 'keep the overt spoilt pink baby girl princess sexism for your private and family life'.

Ms Gladstone added that it was a 'triggering' subject for her as she had spent time while raising her own daughter to counteract the 'pink is for girls' culture, which she described as 'mildly damaging when taken to extremes'.

The comments - made in a series of emails - led bosses to launch disciplinary proceedings against admin worker Ms Gladstone, then 52, over her behaviour at work for which she received a written warning.

This prompted her to resign and to sue HMRC for unfair constructive dismissal and disability discrimination.

However, her claims were all dismissed by the tribunal which concluded that she had been treated fairly.'