A Scottish Sikh is seeking £6.6 million ($9.3m) in damages after being called a "temperamental Syrian immigrant" in a campaign of racist abuse and bullying by work colleagues.
Salesman Kieran Sidhu, 36, won his claim against the racial harassment and bullying he suffered while employed by technology company Exertis, based in Basingstoke, England.
The harassment against Mr Sidhu, who joined the company in 2012, escalated when he was given a £46,000-a-year sales job as an account supervisor.
He quit the office in May 2017 while suffering from extreme depression and anxiety.
An employment tribunal in Southampton upheld Mr Sidhu's claims of unfair dismissal and racial harassment by his colleagues and found that "crude sexual innuendo and express sexual reference" were considered entertaining.
Colleagues branded him the “only ethnic on the team”, a “temperamental Syrian immigrant”, and called him an “Arab shoe bomber”.
One worker also likened his neighbourhood to Aleppo in Syria after locating it on Google Maps.
Co-workers would put his laptop computer in the bin, hide his mouse and other items around the office.
Mr Sidhu said: "They thought this was funny, but it was embarrassing and disruptive for me."
Psychiatrist Jonathan Ornstein said the bullying was so bad that his client has a “very low chance of recovery” and is “unlikely to be able to work again”.
The tribunal also found that Mr Sidhu's manager failed to take action when the complaints were raised and "tried to force him out of the firm because he did not fit with the team".
Mr Sidhu is now seeking £6.6m for lost earnings and aggravated damages. If he is awarded the full amount, it would be the biggest payout by a tribunal in British history.
"The size of my client's compensation claim reflects not only the gravity of the ordeal he suffered, but the psychiatric assessment that, in all probability, his career is over," Mr Sidhu's solicitor, Lawrence Davies, told the Daily Mail.
On this occasion it was clear that certain behaviours within a part of our business fell short of the standards we expect
The company said it had launched an investigation into the bullying claims and has taken "appropriate disciplinary action".
A statement said: "The employment tribunal decision relates to Exertis and a breach of the Equality Act 2010 within a specific area of the business. We fully respect the tribunal's decision.
"This was a unique case across a business of more than 1,800 employees. However, Exertis takes any such concerns extremely seriously. This is why we took immediate remedial action, such as diversity and inclusion training, on completion of that investigation in 2017.
"On this occasion it was clear that certain behaviours within a part of our business fell short of the standards we expect. However, our response makes sure that this should never happen again.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Dr Graham's three goals
Short term
Establish logistics and systems needed to globally deploy vaccines
Intermediate term
Build biomedical workforces in low- and middle-income nations
Long term
A prototype pathogen approach for pandemic preparedness
I Care A Lot
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Starring: Rosamund Pike, Peter Dinklage
3/5 stars
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Washmen Profile
Date Started: May 2015
Founders: Rami Shaar and Jad Halaoui
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Laundry
Employees: 170
Funding: about $8m
Funders: Addventure, B&Y Partners, Clara Ventures, Cedar Mundi Partners, Henkel Ventures
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What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
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Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
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UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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UAE
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ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
MATCH INFO
Manchester United 1 (Fernandes pen 2') Tottenham Hotspur 6 (Ndombele 4', Son 7' & 37' Kane (30' & pen 79, Aurier 51')
Man of the match Son Heung-min (Tottenham)
The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index
The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index
Mazen Abukhater, principal and actuary at global consultancy Mercer, Middle East, says the company’s Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index - which benchmarks 34 pension schemes across the globe to assess their adequacy, sustainability and integrity - included Saudi Arabia for the first time this year to offer a glimpse into the region.
The index highlighted fundamental issues for all 34 countries, such as a rapid ageing population and a low growth / low interest environment putting pressure on expected returns. It also highlighted the increasing popularity around the world of defined contribution schemes.
“Average life expectancy has been increasing by about three years every 10 years. Someone born in 1947 is expected to live until 85 whereas someone born in 2007 is expected to live to 103,” Mr Abukhater told the Mena Pensions Conference.
“Are our systems equipped to handle these kind of life expectancies in the future? If so many people retire at 60, they are going to be in retirement for 43 years – so we need to adapt our retirement age to our changing life expectancy.”
Saudi Arabia came in the middle of Mercer’s ranking with a score of 58.9. The report said the country's index could be raised by improving the minimum level of support for the poorest aged individuals and increasing the labour force participation rate at older ages as life expectancies rise.
Mr Abukhater said the challenges of an ageing population, increased life expectancy and some individuals relying solely on their government for financial support in their retirement years will put the system under strain.
“To relieve that pressure, governments need to consider whether it is time to switch to a defined contribution scheme so that individuals can supplement their own future with the help of government support,” he said.
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
