Woman awarded $131,000 after not being invited to work drinks
<p dir="ltr">A waitress has been awarded a whopping $131,000 after not being invited to work drinks. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Rita Leher said that she felt “shunned” by her colleagues at a London casino when they didn’t invite her to a cocktail bar.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The 51-year-old, who is older than her colleagues and has worked at the casino for 10 years, took stress leave after hearing the plans being discussed in front of her and not receiving an invite. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Rita, who also happens to be of African descent, issued a complaint to the employment tribunal on the basis of race and claimed the victimisation was due to her age and ethnicity.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“We unanimously agree that being excluded from discussions at work about a social occasion amongst colleagues when one would normally be included would subject an employee to a detriment at work," Employment Judge Sarah Moor said.</p>
<p dir="ltr">"A reasonable employee would consider that such exclusion was to their disadvantage because they had lost the opportunity to bond with colleagues on that social occasion.</p>
<p dir="ltr">"The occasion was sufficiently linked to work by the fact that it was amongst work colleagues and was discussed at work, and would provide the opportunity for team bonding.”</p>
<p dir="ltr">Rita was subsequently awarded £74,113.65 ($131,000) in compensation on the basis of injury to feelings and loss of overtime and financial loss. </p>
<p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p>
