LRD guides and handbook November 2012

Bullying and harassment at work - a guide for trade unionists

Chapter 2

Outing a gay worker against their wishes is harassment

It is harassment to “out” a gay worker against his or her wishes, or to refer to somebody’s sexuality in a derogatory or humiliating way (Grant v Land Registry [2011] EWCA Civ 769). In this case, the Court of Appeal said that when deciding whether harassment has occurred, it is always necessary to consider “to whom a remark is made, in what terms and for what purpose”. How conduct is perceived by an individual is the key consideration.

Grant v Land Registry [2011] EWCA Civ 769