Some companies have a strict dress code that they expect their employees to adhere to. Of course, nobody is stupid enough to wear a party dress to the office (unless there’s a party), but at times, companies can take things too far when their dress code is violated.
Just like the company Maximus UK Services, where an 18-year-old employee was mistreated for wearing trainers when she could see that others had worn them too. She was also further subjected to scrutiny and micromanagement, and eventually dismissed, so she sued them for victimization!
Elizabeth Benassi started working for Maximus UK Services but felt she was discriminated against because of her 18 years of age
Image credits: Elizabeth Benassi
Once she was called out for wearing trainers and violating the company dress code even when she could see that others were also wearing them
Image credits: Alvaro de la Camara
She felt that her every action was being scrutinized, and later she was also dismissed during her probation review
Today, we dive into the world of Elizabeth Benassi, who joined Maximus UK Services in August 2022, when she was just 18 years old. What followed during her days with the company as an employment advisor led her to sue the company, and she actually won! It all started when she specifically told her manager, Ishrat Ashraf, not to reveal her age to anyone as she didn’t want to be “treated like a baby.”
However, it came as a shock to her when despite her request, Ashraf shared her age with the whole team. Upset by this, Elizabeth emailed her manager and raised the issue that she felt this was a breach of her confidentiality and trust. Well, instead of resolving the whole issue, she was assigned a new manager, Alva de la Camara.
Fast-forward to a few days later, Elizabeth found out that one of her other colleagues, Roberta, had tried to impersonate her and speak with Ashraf, so again she raised the concern about her breach of security. That, however, was not the end of the trouble for the woman as there came a day when she wore trainers to work and things just escalated.
Image credits: freepik/ Freepik (not the actual photo)
Ashraf immediately noticed this and called her out, and while Elizabeth apologized, she realized that there were other colleagues who were also wearing trainers, but none of them were being called out for it. From that moment on, she felt like she was constantly being micromanaged or under scrutiny as she was also reported for asking to use the toilet in front of a client.
Things got so bad that Elizabeth wrote in an email to de la Camara that she felt as though she could not “breathe at work without it being an issue.” When it was time for her probation review meeting, she received a big shocker as the company dismissed her. According to de la Camara, this decision was taken considering her attendance, behavior, conduct, timekeeping during work hours, and her violation of the dress code.
It was probably the last straw for Elizabeth, and she decided to sue as she felt they were discriminating against her because of her young age. The tribunal ruled that she had been victimized for wearing trainers and the company had unfairly tackled the situation. She was awarded £29,187 for victimization, but the Employment Judge, Eoin Fowell, dismissed her claims of age harassment.
Image credits: ANTONI SHKRABA production / Pexels (not the actual photo)
She sued the company for victimization and the tribunal ruled in her favor and awarded her £29,187, but dismissed her claims of age harassment
“Younger employees often face several challenges when integrating into a new work environment. They may be perceived as inexperienced, immature, or lacking professionalism, leading to condescending or discriminatory treatment,” pointed out HR specialist Nicola Dias whom Bored Panda reached out to for an interview.
Things started to go downhill after Elizabeth raised an issue about her manager after she exposed her age to the team. Nicola stressed that during such a situation, the employee’s complaint should not be dismissed without mediating the conflict or it can fester and create more problems in the future, just as it happened here.
Image credits: Wavebreak Media / Freepik (not the actual photo)
Our expert also expressed that it was surprising to know that Elizabeth had no knowledge about the dress code, or probably she had forgotten about it. Moreover, Nicola added that Elizabeth was the only one who was unfairly singled out for a dress code violation, in which case, HR should’ve stepped in and reminded the leadership of unconscious bias and fair policy enforcement.
“Also, whether it be the constant scrutiny that she was under or the micromanagement that she faced, it does make the environment quite toxic. When a person faces such issues right during their first job, it can have a permanent impact on them when it comes to their perception of a workplace,” Nicola noted.
Well, at least she got the money for any distress that the company might have caused her. However, folks online were divided as some applauded her for standing up for herself, while some said that she sounded like a typical entitled teen who can’t be reprimanded. What did you make of it? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
Folks online were divided as some applauded her resolve, while some labeled her a typical entitled teen who can't be reprimanded
