Veolia Environmental Services Uk v Gumbs: EAT 7 Feb 2014

EAT Race Discrimination : Inferring Discrimination – Burden of proof
The submission that both Madarassy v Nomura International plc [2007] ICR 867 and Hewage v Grampian Health Board [2012] ICR 1054 support the proposition that an Employer should not have the burden of proof reversed and be required to give a non-discriminatory explanation for its conduct in demoting an employee or denying the employee an opportunity to qualify to do different work where inconsistent explanations as to the reason for demotion had been given and an unacceptable account of knowledge of the ambition to qualify had been given could not be accepted. Whilst the substance of the explanation should be excluded from consideration when deciding whether the burden of proof should be reversed the fact that explanations had been given which were inconsistent could be taken into account. When an account of lack of knowledge as to the employee’s ambition to qualify for different work had been contradicted by other evidence that was a factor to be considered in deciding whether the burden of proof had shifted.

Judge Hand QC
[2013] UKEAT 0487 – 12 – 0702
Bailii
England and Wales
Citing:
CitedMadarassy v Nomura International Plc CA 26-Jan-2007
The claimant appealed against adverse findings on her claims of sex discrimination. The court considered questions arising from the provisions relating to the transfer of the burden of proof in a discrimination case.
Held: Questions of the . .
CitedHewage v Grampian Health Board SC 25-Jul-2012
The claimant had been employed as a consultant orthodontist. She resigned claiming constructive dismissal and sex and race discrimination. The EAT reversed the findings on discrimination saying that they had not been sufficiently pleaded. The Court . .

Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.

Employment, Discrimination

Updated: 29 November 2021; Ref: scu.521104