Projection can be unsettling for some bosses where living with uncomfortable truths feel so unbearable that they let it get the best of them in management decisions. One boss couldn’t stand the thought of people similar to him filling roles in the company so he actively worked towards getting rid of them.
Mark Jones, a 61-year-old sales director, was pressured to quit his job because his boss didn’t want “a team of bald-headed 50-year-old men.”
Rather than investing in hair growth serums, Jones held up a strong fight for justice. He won a tribunal case after Tango Network, his mobile phone employer, eroded his self-confidence to push him to resign from his position.
Manager Philip Hesketh was expressing frustrations about workplace diversity saying he didn’t want staff that directly reflect him. If he wants to steer clear of his replicas, it doesn’t deliver a strong pitch for his own marketable skills.
“I don’t want a team of bald-headed 50-year-old men. I want to change the dynamics,” he said.
The boss was ready to search for more “energetic” and “youthful” candidates to fill the roles.
Although Jones has hair on his head, Jones felt like he was in the hot seat. Employment rights protect him after two years but he has only been there for one year.
Performance reviews were just a way for the employers to find excuses to move him out of the office. Jones eventually gave up and resigned. His resignation letter said: “I am saddened at the blatant manipulation and lies set out in the grievance report and believe this is only designed as a tick box exercise to make me look bad and to further a performance management process which should never have been carried out in the first place.”
“Mr. Hesketh perceived Mr. Jones as un-dynamic and he associated more dynamic people with the characteristics of younger people,” the tribunal concluded.
It became apparent that the company was favoring a younger employee pool. A 57-year-old candidate that Jones had recommended was rejected in favor of two younger workers in their forties.
Hesketh had plans to hire both candidates on the provision they could “move Mark [Jones] on,” before he completed two years of service.
Jones suffered a panic attack from the toxic workplace conditions and escalated the issue in the tribunal. Judge Ian Miller said: “We have found that Tango has demonstrated no basis for deciding to dismiss Mr. Jones and then subsequently implementing the capability process.
“In our view, Tango was caught off guard by Mr. Jones being off sick and did not have time to dismiss him before he accrued two years service.”
He added: “They chipped away at the relationship from Mr. Jones’ perspective and in the entirety of the circumstances it was reasonable for him to feel [that they seriously damaged the relationship of trust].”
Standing up for justice was worth the struggle. Jones has won $84,000 in discrimination-related damages.
Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/tango-bald-boss-payout-tribunal-b2279641.html