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A tribunal decision that merits careful study by charities, unions, policy-makers and wider society
In light of Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre being found to have constructively dismissed a worker who held that service users should be able to know the sex of the staff they were seeing, ANN HENDERSON argues that lessons need to be learned in order to uphold women’s rights

THE delivery of services that women need, services that treat women with respect, dignity and privacy, recognising that sex matters, is the focus of another landmark employment tribunal decision.

Roz Adams, a support worker at Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre (ERCC), took her employer to tribunal on two counts, and the tribunal unanimously reached the decision that, firstly, the respondents unlawfully discriminated against the claimant on the grounds of religion or belief and, secondly, the respondents unfairly constructively dismissed the claimant. A remedy hearing date will be set in due course.

Adams was represented at the tribunal by Naomi Cunningham (Legal Feminist, Outer Temple Chambers) and Katy Wedderburn of Gunnercooke solicitors. In Adams’s statement, in response to the tribunal decision, she credits this legal team, friends and family, Nonviolent Communication and work colleagues, Unite the Union (including Alice Bowman, Unite’s appointed solicitor at Allan McDougall), and all supporters. The process has taken three years. The full decision is published and requires careful study.

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