Victor Stanley-Idum, a British civil servant of Nigerian descent, lost his racism lawsuit against the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) after he was disciplined for running personal errands, including taking an Uber to the airport, during his official working hours.
The case, which was reported by Leading Britain’s Conversation on Thursday, stems from an informal warning Stanley-Idum received in 2021 for what was described as a “casual attitude towards working hours.” As a senior executive officer at the MoD, Stanley-Idum claimed that his managers held stereotypical views about “Black Africans being lazy.” However, an employment tribunal in the UK sided with the MoD, dismissing his claims.
During the COVID-19 pandemic’s remote working period, Stanley-Idum was frequently absent, missed meetings, and gave various reasons for being away from his desk, such as shopping for a vacuum cleaner or experiencing internet problems. After several absences, his supervisor, Sharon Docherty, implemented a stricter daily schedule and required him to report his working hours.
The situation escalated when Stanley-Idum allegedly took an Uber to the airport during working hours, claiming he was still working remotely while in transit. He later sued the MoD for racial harassment, disability discrimination, and victimisation, arguing that he was being bullied and unfairly treated due to racial bias.
However, Employment Judge Tim Adkin concluded that there was no evidence to support Stanley-Idum’s claims that Docherty or the department harboured racial prejudices. The judge noted that remote working during the pandemic made it difficult to monitor the output of many employees, including Stanley-Idum. Additionally, the tribunal found Stanley-Idum’s explanation of working from the back of an Uber unconvincing. The judge also pointed out that Stanley-Idum had failed to attend a team-building event at Sandhurst, despite previously committing to it.
All of Stanley-Idum’s claims were dismissed.
Stanley-Idum had joined the MoD in April 2017 as an analyst and was later promoted to project manager in the central transformation team in April 2020, just one month after the lockdown began.
