Young Woman Awarded £32,200 Compensation After being Fired for Wearing Trainers to Work

A 20-year-old woman has been awarded £30,000 in compensation after she was sacked from her job at a recruiting agency for wearing trainers to work. Elizabeth Benassi claimed that she was unfairly singled out and treated "like a child" by her manager after complaining about the dress code.

Benassi started working at Maximus UK Services in 2022 and had only been employed for three months when she was let go. She argued that she didn't know the company had a formal dress code, unlike other colleagues who got away with wearing similar shoes to hers but were not disciplined.

The employment tribunal, which heard her case in Croydon, south London, ruled in Benassi's favour and found Maximus UK Services guilty of age-based discrimination and treatment towards young workers. The tribunal was told that most of Benassi's colleagues were in their twenties and that she was being "micromanaged" because of her age.

Benassi will receive £29,187 in compensation for victimisation, as well as the remaining £1,013 from her original severance package, which was held back to cover outstanding costs. The tribunal also dismissed her other claim that she had experienced age-related harassment at work.

Employment Judge Forwell stated that the decision showed "a clear desire to find fault" in Benassi, who was immediately criticised upon arrival at the office for wearing trainers without realizing that the company had a dress code in place. The judge noted that there should have been allowances made for Benassi's inexperience and lack of knowledge about the dress code.

The tribunal's ruling has raised concerns over age-based discrimination towards young workers and highlights the need for workplaces to provide clear guidelines on their dress codes and disciplinary procedures to prevent confusion and unfair treatment among employees.