A homosexual hotel manager has lost his claim for unfair dismissal because he had sent “filthy” Christmas cards to members of staff.
Stuart Turner claimed he had been sacked from the Waveney House Hotel in Suffolk because of his homosexuality, and because he had booked a lesbian wedding and hired a black chef.
But a Norwich employment tribunal disagreed and said the cards Turner had sent were sufficient reason to be let go.
“The sending of the Christmas cards in itself was an act of gross misconduct,” said panel chairman Christopher Ash. “They were filthy and sent to people he doesn’t know very well.”
Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance
Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday
Turner had claimed that no-one had been upset by the saucy cards.
The case was brought under the Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003 Act which makes workplace discrimination against lesbian, gay and bisexual people unlawful.
