| Over recent months the British Police Force | | | | in the eyes of the law. If someone, and not |
| has found itself dealing with a number of | | | | necessarily the alleged victim, feels that |
| claims for compensation due to discrimination | | | | racism has occurred a case can be brought to |
| in the workplace on grounds of race and | | | | a tribunal to ascertain the facts. |
| ethnicity. One Police officer has submitted a | | | | |
| claim for £500,000 pounds because he | | | | Racism in the workplace occurs across all |
| believes he was discriminated against and | | | | sectors and industries and poses very |
| denied a promotion unfairly. | | | | difficult situations for both employees and |
| | | | employers. Tribunals are the place where the |
| The claim is being made against the | | | | cases get settled, but cases for race |
| Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Sir Ian | | | | discrimination can take months to reach this |
| Blair, who has been accused of sidelining, | | | | point. Before a case goes to tribunal there |
| Asian and black detectives. There is no limit | | | | has to be evidence that the situation has |
| on the amount of compensation which can be in | | | | been tried to be resolved within the company |
| claimed in a race discrimination case which | | | | first. Employees need to show they have |
| typically results in demands for high | | | | exhausted the internal company policies which |
| payouts. However there does need to be | | | | are typically done through raising a |
| compelling evidence that the discrimination | | | | grievance or going through an appeal process. |
| has occurred in order for a case to be | | | | If the employee is not happy with the outcome |
| successful. | | | | and they have reached the end of the line in |
| | | | regards to company policies, then they are |
| Unfortunately this Officer's claim for | | | | able to take their case to the tribunal. |
| compensation is not the only one to have been | | | | Employment law works differently to criminal |
| raised. Another Police employee has | | | | law by the nature in which the verdict is |
| also submitted a claim for racial | | | | determined. In a criminal court the evidence |
| discrimination at the hands of Sir Ian Blair. | | | | provided has to prove beyond reasonable doubt |
| The claims have come as a bit of a shock, as | | | | that a crime has or has not been committed. |
| many people believe that the Metropolitan | | | | In employment law the evidence is weighed up |
| police Commissioner got the job because of | | | | according to the balance of probabilities. If |
| his stance on promoting diversity not for | | | | there is a 51 percent chance that an event |
| being against it. Sir Ian Blair strongly | | | | occurred than the ruling will come down in |
| denies the claims and many others are | | | | favour of that event. Claims for race |
| supporting him. However everybody who | | | | discrimination are treated in this manner and |
| feels they have been the victim of racist in | | | | it will be up to both the employee and the |
| the workplace has the right to have their | | | | employer to prove what happened before |
| case heard. It may be that that the racism | | | | outcomes of the case can be decided. |
| was not intentional but that does not matter | | | | |