Warehouse Worker Wins £10K Unfair Dismissal Tribunal Against Co-operative Group

A warehouse worker named Lucasz Zawadzki was found to have been unfairly dismissed by the Co-operative Group after being accused of impersonating Michael Jackson and making racist noises towards a black colleague. The colleague alleged that Zawadzki made high-pitched "hee hee" sounds mimicking the pop star and also accused him of making monkey noises, which Zawadzki denied, admitting only to making "embarrassing and juvenile" noises that were not intended to be racist or hurtful. Employment Judge Carol Porter ruled that while Zawadzki's conduct was inappropriate and juvenile, there was insufficient evidence that his behavior was offensive or caused distress to the colleague. Zawadzki was suspended for an alleged breach of the bullying, harassment, and discrimination policy, but the tribunal found the dismissal unfair and awarded him over £10,000 in compensation. The case highlighted the complexity of workplace conduct allegations where intent and impact must be carefully weighed. The tribunal emphasized the need for employers to have clear evidence before taking severe disciplinary actions like dismissal.