Woman refused job by M&S claims race bias
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Adelle Martins, a black fashion buyer, took a discrimination case against Marks and Spencer to the Court of Appeal in London yesterday claiming she failed to get a job because of the famous store's "white middle class attitudes".
The 31-year-old (pictured above) was said to have been a victim of the "climate of unrecognised discrimination amongst middle management".
Ms Martins, from Wandsworth, south-west London, applied for a job as a trainee buyer after nearly five years' experience as an assistant fashion buyer.
However, the court was told that this background had been dismissed by the M&S interviewers as being with a "relatively indistinguished fashion outlet": Ms Martins had been working for Woolworth's.
Ms Martins' barrister, Ian MacDonald QC, said she had complained to an industrial tribunal which ruled there had been racial discrimination, awarding her pounds 3,000 for injury to her feelings and giving her leave to apply for compensation for other losses.
The panel said she did not get the job because of her ethnic origin and that although the company had taken steps to counter the perception of it as "a white middle class organisation", it had had little impact on the staff's ethnic mix. There was said to be have been a "climate of unrecognised discrimination amongst middle management".
In May last year an Employment Appeal Tribunal ruled that the initial tribunal's findings had been "perverse" and said M&S had taken reasonable steps to get rid of racial discrimination.
The store says Ms Martins, who is trying to overturn the EAT's decision, was not chosen for the job because of her poor performance at the interview.
The hearing was adjourned until tomorrow.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments