Calling Men ‘Bald’ Counts as Sexual Harassment, UK Tribunal Rules

[Bigmac]

Calling Men ‘Bald’ Counts as Sexual Harassment, UK Tribunal Rules.​

Calling a male colleague bald isn’t harmless banter but sexual harassment.

A panel of British judges has ruled that calling a man bald is sexual harassment.

Because hair loss is more prevalent among men than women, describing someone by that term is a form of discrimination, they said - referring to their own hair loss as an example.

That’s the conclusion of a British employment tribunal who ruled that using the word could be “inherently related to sex” and amount to a form of discrimination.

The decision came in the case of electrician Tony Finn who sued a small Yorkshire-based family business, where he’d worked for nearly 24 years, for unfair dismissal and sexual harassment. He accused a colleague of calling him a “fat bald c---.”


The all-male, three member tribunal panel agreed that Finn didn’t complain about the “industrial language” of the shop floor but the epithets relating to his age and hair.

“It is difficult to conclude other than that” those words were spoken “with the purpose of violating the claimant’s dignity and creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for him,” the judgment said.

 

[Kevboy]

At last it is being recognised as insulting and hurtful.

 

[NZK Medical]

As hair loss is widespread. The way it affects a person can be unseen. Or not even considered. This does indicate whether the stigma is real or perceived. How hair loss is still considered in our society. Hair loss does affect how many interact with colleagues, friends, etc. It can affect how someone perceives others. Which is obviously wrong. Also, irrational. But a reality. The use as a slur is a simple and ignorant low blow.

Many people, men, and women still do not discuss their hair loss with others. Maybe only with their partner at best. Even then, often only when they are considering dealing with their hair loss. But, very rarely with friends or certainly not with work colleagues. The reasons men especially want to deal with hair loss are wide-ranging. This needs to be carefully considered. As emotions can occasionally rule the head. As a result, it is important to not simply redirect one ill, hair loss. To a new issue. Ill-advised hair restoration.

 

[sl]

Way back in 2009 in my previous work I recall sitting in the office, I was a regional manager and had a very good job and we in the corner were called the BALD CORNER...It was banter and they didn't mean harm as such but it really has no place in the work place or elsewhere and I used to say to myself, imagine if I did the same thing to others in the office who have other issues..Hair loss and transplants have been the target of many jokes and I recall one lady with whom I worked had her breasts done and was open about it and she got a nasty infection post surgery and her surgeon who did the work put her on the back of his motorcycle to take her to hospital from the private clinic to a NHS facility. I kind of laughed to myself thinking, after a HT, the last thing I'd want to so is put on a crash hat and be on the back of the bike with my surgeon in the driving position..But it shows her surgery was a laugh and all knew about it but hair loss is far deeper...Good things are changing for the better!

 

[NZK Medical]

Just to follow up on this topic. This topic was being discussed on a radio phone-in programme earlier today. A 30-something man called in to explain an experience at work. He walked into his office and all the women were wearing sunglasses. As if to protect from the glare of his head. He said he tried to ignore and fake laugh it off. But the reality was it affected him negatively. As he was already conscious of his hair loss.

Forgetting the male-female dynamic of that experience. As that´s a different topic. But it goes to show how innocent ignorance can have a negative and hurtful impact. It would have been interesting if he commented he did not find it funny. Whether any of his colleagues would have told him to get a sense of humour.

 

[Bigmac]

I remember work colleagues calling me Zidaine. Ironically, some of them were full Norwood 6.

 

[gambler]

LOL...........the UK has gone totally barking mad.

 

[Kevboy]

Not sexual harassment but it can be quite upsetting if you are on the receiving end of bald jokes when already conscious of hair loss.

 

[Ronnie]

I certainly find it odd that its been classed as ‘sexual’ harassment…..I don’t see that at all.

It most certainly is a characteristic that can be leveraged in a negative way however. I think it stands with every other aspect of physical appearance (big noses, being short, being overweight etc etc) and can be very insulting in certain circumstances. I think we all respond in different ways and it can be contextual. For me, for example, I’m more than happy for my close work colleagues to have a little joke about my baldness or anything else, it would impact me more if it became a big taboo subject. If however, say, a different set of work colleagues with whom I wasn’t on friendly terms started singling this or any other characteristic out for comment, then it goes from friendly banter to bullying and isn’t funny anymore. I’d emphasise very strongly that this is just how it is for me and for others any form of discussion of this or other characteristics might be intolerable.

The examples cited in the article sound horrendous and I find it astonishing that someone would make the quoted comments in a work environment. It’s what I’d expect in a heated drunken row or during football violence or similar. Just awful.

 

[SimBa]

This is an odd use of the category of sexual harassment as most people interpret this as unwelcome sexual advances, whereas in this context they seem to have interpreted it as harassment based on the persons sex. Baldness is primarily a male issue so it is sex specific but whether it is harassment is dependent on other factors. He could have always simply got another job unless it was that bad, though working at a firm for 24 years he may have thought his employers were ungrateful bastads of his service and didn't want to let it go. Who know's.

 

[Bigmac]

I agree that it`s not sexual harassment but a form of abuse/bullying, and insulting behaviour.

 

[SimBa]

For me, for example, I’m more than happy for my close work colleagues to have a little joke about my baldness or anything else, it would impact me more if it became a big taboo subject. If however, say, a different set of work colleagues with whom I wasn’t on friendly terms started singling this or any other characteristic out for comment, then it goes from friendly banter to bullying and isn’t funny anymore. I’d emphasise very strongly that this is just how it is for me and for others any form of discussion of this or other characteristics might be intolerable.

The examples cited in the article sound horrendous and I find it astonishing that someone would make the quoted comments in a work environment. It’s what I’d expect in a heated drunken row or during football violence or similar. Just awful.

Yes, interesting point Ronnie. Context can affect the intention of this I would say, though I do believe a bit in absolutes or black and white where possible. Does mocking a physical appearance anomaly come under the category of abuse or subjective individual preference ?

Because it's an emotional phenomena it seems unclear to be 100% objective. If we light a match, blow it out and place this on someone's skin, this would be deemed a hostile act, no matter what we were to tell someone that they were being touchy about it or to relax and take a chill pill. Whereas something verbal is less clear cut. I know this sounds leftfield but I would say it's important to clarify so we can decipher someone's intention. A good way to know our friends and enemies.