Civil servant sues MoD for racism after being disciplined for shopping and taking Uber trip during working hours
24 April 2025, 09:43 | Updated: 24 April 2025, 11:00
A civil servant has sued the Ministry of Defence (MoD) over racism claims after he was disciplined for taking an Uber to the airport during working hours.
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Victor Stanley-Idum, a senior executive officer at the MoD, sued the department after he was caught carrying out personal errands during working hours.
Mr Stanlet-Idum told the tribunal that his manager held a stereotypical view of “black Africans being lazy” after he was handed an official warning for his “casual attitude to working hours”.
An employment tribunal heard how the civil servant was caught away from his desk on several occasions during the Autumn of 2021 - a period that saw much of his department continue to work form home in the wake of the pandemic.
The tribunal heard how "management supervision was almost entirely absent" during the remote-working period, with Mr Stanley-Idum blaming "broadband issues" for his absences - among a string of other excuses.
Sharon Docherty, his manager, handed the civil servant an informal warning on Oct 27, 2021, after repeatedly being found away from his desk or unavailable.
Mr Stanley-Idum gave a string of excuses for why he was regularly found away from his desk, including one occasion where he said he needed to go and buy a vacuum cleaner.
Following the informal warning, the civil servant was then placed on a strict timetable which dictated his exact working hours.
He was also required to outline his objectives and achievements for the day.
In January 2022, following the implementation of the new rules, Mr Stanley-Idum then chose to unsuccessfully sue the department over his treatment and claims of racism.
The MoD worker claimed he was being “bullied at work” and subject to “a racial stereotype of laziness and dishonesty”.
Suing the MoD for disability discrimination, race harassment and victimisation, Mr Stanley-Idum brought the claim against five people, before ultimately choosing to pursue the claims solely against the MoD.
Employment Judge Tim Adkin said: “He was working remotely, as indeed were most of his colleagues.
"There were a series of concerns raised about his output and it was difficult to monitor what [he] was working on.
"There is evidence that he was taking time during the working day to do things that were unrelated to work.
“We have not formed the impression based on all the evidence in this case that Mrs Docherty held a stereotypical view of black Africans being lazy or dishonest nor indeed that that was a widely held stereotype.”
The tribunal deemed claims that he worked from the back of an Uber to the airport "unconvincing".
He also missed an a meeting invite sent to him in September 2022, claiming “he had taken a break and run to the store to buy a new Hoover,” the tribunal heard.
MoD bosses grew concerned over his conduct and availability after he failed to attend a team-building day, taking place at Sandhurst military academy in Berkshire.
Despite claiming he would attend in person, he then attended virtually - logging on late and leaving early.
The tribunal ultimately agreed with the MoD's view that the civil servant had an "unorthodox" working style.
All claims were eventually dismissed by the tribunal.
