A
prison officer who claimed he suffered sexual discrimination because he had to
wear a tie to work has lost his case at an employment tribunal.
Mark
Caldicott brought the case against the Prison Service, but tribunal chairman
John Hollow ruled that while male and female officers were treated differently,
it was not discriminatory in this case.
In
his judgment he said: "We are not persuaded by the applicant’s argument.
We prefer the respondent’s view that in as far as a dress code reflects the
dress code of society that does not amount to discrimination."
Hollow
said conventional attitudes of society had changed and were constantly changing
in relation to these matters.
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He
added: "At one stage it would have been unthinkable for women to wear
trousers at work, let alone in a disciplined environment such as the Prison
Service. We do not find the dress regulations operated in a discriminatory
way."
