Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Case lawLatest NewsGender reassignment discriminationReligious discriminationHuman rights

Christian doctor ‘chose’ to leave his job over trans pronoun row

by Rob Moss 12 Jul 2019
by Rob Moss 12 Jul 2019 Dr David Mackereth claims he was dismissed because of his religion.
Photo: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock
Dr David Mackereth claims he was dismissed because of his religion.
Photo: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock

Dr David Mackereth, the Christian doctor who claims he was dismissed for refusing to use transgender pronouns, chose to leave his job, an employment tribunal has heard.

The Department for Work and Pensions and an employment agency, Advanced Personnel Management (APM), are defending a claim against the doctor, who says he was discriminated against because his religious belief means he cannot use a preferred pronoun for a transgender client.

Mackereth, who has worked as a doctor for 30 years, earlier told the tribunal that he was dismissed because he would not refer to “any six-foot tall bearded man” as “madam”.

Religious discrimination

What can employers do if an employee’s rights conflict with another’s beliefs?

What employers need to know following the ‘gay cake’ ruling

Religious discrimination: Harassment based on third party’s religion

Gender reassignment discrimination

However his manager, James Owen, said Dr Mackereth chose to leave his job assessing the health and disability of benefits claimants.

The doctor claims that no effort was made to accommodate his religious beliefs, such as referring transgender clients to another doctor.

The BBC reported yesterday that Owen said he had a meeting with Dr Mackereth and “respected his wishes not to work” in June 2018.

In a written statement Owen said he “asked the claimant if he would respect the customer’s wish to be referred to by their chosen sexuality and name and would he convey that in his written report.

“The claimant categorically stated that he would not do that due to his beliefs and he could not put that in a report as his conscience would not allow that.”

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Owen said “at no point was David suspended from work,” adding that the doctor had “left work because he chose to do so”.

The case continues at the Midlands (West) employment tribunal.

Rob Moss

Rob Moss is a business journalist with more than 25 years' experience. He has been editor of Personnel Today since 2010. He joined the publication in 2006 as online editor of the award-winning website. Rob specialises in labour market economics, gender diversity and family-friendly working. He has hosted hundreds of webinar and podcasts. Before writing about HR and employment he ran news and feature desks on publications serving the global optical and eyewear market, the UK electrical industry, and energy markets in Asia and the Middle East.

previous post
‘HR department’ needed to tackle bullying in Parliament
next post
Telecoms giant awaits verdict on top executives in staff suicides case

You may also like

Top 10 HR questions February 2025: Supporting employees...

4 Mar 2025

Ramadan in the workplace: top tips for employers

21 Feb 2025

Free speech: Kristie Higgs triumphs at Court of...

12 Feb 2025

Higgs’ victory has ‘profound’ implications for employers

12 Feb 2025

Christian social worker case: are there implications for...

5 Jul 2024

Lab assistant likened to ‘radicalised’ murderer receives payout

2 Apr 2024

Bare below elbows: Muslim medic loses religious discrimination...

27 Mar 2024

Watford council faces gender-critical belief claim

18 Mar 2024

Actress to take religious discrimination claim to Court...

14 Mar 2024

Kristie Higgs’ case heads to Court of Appeal

29 Jan 2024

  • 2025 Employee Communications Report PROMOTED | HR and leadership...Read more
  • The Majority of Employees Have Their Eyes on Their Next Move PROMOTED | A staggering 65%...Read more
  • Prioritising performance management: Strategies for success (webinar) WEBINAR | In today’s fast-paced...Read more
  • Self-Leadership: The Key to Successful Organisations PROMOTED | Eletive is helping businesses...Read more
  • Retaining Female Talent: Four Ways to Reduce Workplace Drop Out PROMOTED | International Women’s Day...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+