An Employment Tribunal has ruled that a Nigerian nurse, Mary Onuoha, was unfairly dismissed by the Croydon University hospital, Surrey for wearing a cross necklace.
The verdict which was handed down on Wednesday claimed that Onuoha, a theatre practitioner was discriminated against and harassed for wearing a necklace with a small cross pendant, reports Guardian UK.
However, Croydon Health Services NHS Trust’s uniform policy prohibited the wearing of necklaces in clinical areas on the basis that they could be a health and safety risk.
Onuoha, a Catholic was first asked to remove her necklace in 2014, 13 years after she began working at the hospital. She refused for religious reasons. Similar requests were made in 2015 and 2016. Further efforts by the trust to get Onuoha to remove the necklace, or wear it inside her uniform, failed.
She was then suspended from clinical duties and demoted to working as a receptionist which she said left her feeling humiliated. She resigned in 2020 and claimed constructive and unfair dismissal.
Onuoha said, “My cross has been with me for 40 years. It is part of me, and my faith, and it has never caused anyone any harm. At this hospital, there are members of staff who go to a mosque four times a day and no one says anything to them. Hindus wear red bracelets on their wrists and female Muslims wear hijabs in theatre.
“Yet my small cross around my neck was deemed so dangerous that I was no longer allowed to do my job. I am a strong woman but I have been treated like a criminal.”
According to the tribunal’s ruling, the wearing of jewellery, including necklaces, was “rife” among the trust’s workforce and was “widely tolerated” by management.
The trust allowed employees to wear other items of religious apparel such as headscarves, turbans and kalava bracelets. “There was no proper explanation as to why those items were permitted but a cross-necklace was not,” the ruling said.
- Punch
Well, here , no cross or ring or bracelet or hijab is allowed. I was going to fault her for being adamant, until I read that other people wore bracelets? Even hijab?. That's double standards and not acceptable.
ReplyDeleteYes I was going to fault her too because as far as I know, items of jewelry and other accessories aren't allowed in the theater. Just your scrubs and that's all, for sanitary reasons and to avoid stuff falling into the operation site.
DeleteBut reading that they let other people wear accessories into the theater is obvious discrimination and I hope she gets compensation for missed income
If she was white, will they complain? Nope!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad she finally got justice, it just proves that God is with her.
It is not necessarily a racial discrimination. The most important thing here is that she got justice.
DeleteSuch a brave woman. I'm happy court ruled in her favor.
ReplyDeleteBut putting the cross necklace inside her uniform while at work is not a bad idea at all.
Divinely
Good she won the case
ReplyDeletePraise GOD
ReplyDeleteYou truly deserve compensation for the stress you have been through
Happy she got justice.If others can wear their religious apparels,she has the right to also wear her cross without being victimized.I don't want to believe that Christianity is under attack🤔
ReplyDeleteIt is
DeleteJust like the evil clown that dragged a Christian couple who ran a bakery to court for not baking a homosexual worded cake with sesame street characters as it disagreed with their beliefs
for 7 yrs
Finally the court ruled in the Christian couple's favour
Praise GOD
Everything is not about race, there have been 'white' Christians who have also been caught out in this kind of stuff and sadly did not win their case...not good to see everything as a black and white issue..it is limiting..
ReplyDeleteJustice in a sane society. Hijab wearing nurses took their organization to court to wear long hijab when the establishment stated that short ones worn inside was allowed. Some other religions weren't allowed to wear their scarf or ornaments. Double standard everywhere
ReplyDeleteSweet Justice!
ReplyDeleteNothing beats how things work in a sane society sha. For my own country, even murderers walk without even going to court.
ReplyDeletebut you won't be sacked because of cross in Nigeria
DeleteMadam I must talk.
DeleteWhere the system is truly working!!Justice is served irrespective of the parties involved
ReplyDeleteThey didn't even. State what the compensation wa.s I hope it ran into thousands of pounds.
DeleteBianca Bruno
I don't think it's them attacking her religion. As regarding the theatre design, if there's an electrical discharge in the theatre.Having any jewelry that can conduct around your neck is like sacrificing your life, you could die. In a way I think it's them trying to protect her but it's fine if she doesn't mind, it's her life
DeleteIt is hospital theater not play so nothing like electrical discharge. But wearing jewelry is equally prohibited in hospitals theaters too and clinical areas But we still wear the sha and they look us and commot eye. So if others are allowed to do that,then she should be too. But this covid times, I don't wear jewelry to any covid room oh. I pluck everything including phone and stuck them in my waist bag when I want to get in there.
DeleteThank God for her
ReplyDeleteThis is a good news
ReplyDeleteThey havent awarded compensation yet, but if they dont settle before the remedies hearing, she's likely to get in the region of £100k plus, she won unfair dismissal and discrimination and she is in her 60s... she should expect a big payout. Massive congratulations to her! Not an easy case to win in employment tribunal!
ReplyDeleteit is well
ReplyDelete