Home > Resources > HR compliance > Bullying and harassment > Sexual orientation harassment against gay man during charity fancy-dress day
An older woman standing in her kitchen reviewing documents in her hands.

Sexual orientation harassment against gay man during charity fancy-dress day

A sexual orientation discrimination case examining harassment during a work‑related social event and the limits of “banter” in the workplace.

Share this:

X v Y ET/1605521/09

sexual orientation | direct discrimination | harassment

In X v Y, an employment tribunal found that a gay employee was subjected to harassment during a workplace charity event that he could not reasonably opt out of. The tribunal concluded that the conduct amounted to sexual orientation harassment and direct discrimination, rejecting the employer’s argument that it was harmless banter. The case highlights the risks for employers of failing to manage behaviour at work‑related social events and the importance of setting clear expectations that discriminatory conduct will not be tolerated, even where events are intended to be informal or light‑hearted.

Want to see more?

For full access to Sexual orientation harassment against gay man during charity fancy-dress day, sign up to a HR and Compliance Centre subscription today.

Navigate HR complexity with confidence

With Brightmine, you can build powerful people strategies, implement best practices and set your organisation up for a brighter future.

Learn how our tools, resources and automation can empower you and your team.

You may also be interested in…

Commentary and Insights

Managing sickness absence: Tools HR professionals rely on

Managing sickness absence relies on more than return‑to‑work meetings alone. Drawing on insights from HR professionals, this article …

Tools & templates

Probation policy

A clear, practical probation policy to help you manage performance, make fair decisions, and reduce legal and employee …

Checklists

Retaining skilled talent: Your compensation strategy evolution checklist

How are you strategically aligning your compensation practices to address the evolving needs and expectations of today's workforce?

About the author

Brightmine

With more than 10,000 customers, Brightmine is a leading global provider of people data, analytics and insight – empowering HR leaders to deliver brighter business outcomes.

For more than two decades, Brightmine, formerly XpertHR, has continued to help HR leaders confidently navigate the evolving world of work through our unique combination of critical workforce data, AI-enabled technology, and trusted HR expertise.

Brightmine is a division of LexisNexis Data Services within RELX®, a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools. RELX serves customers in 180+ countries with 35,000+ employees. Ticker: London: REL; Amsterdam: REN; New York: RELX.

Start your free trial today

Register today to gain free 7-day access to the Brightmine HR & Compliance Centre and stay up to date, compliant and save valuable time