Workplace Court Ruling for WhatsApp

In a landmark ruling, a judge has decided that leaving colleagues out of WhatsApp group chats constitutes discrimination.

The judgment came in the case of Mark Brosnan, a plumber who was granted £130,000 compensation following his claims for workplace discrimination from his employer. Mr Brosnans case revolved around his exclusion from a crucial work group chat that was intended to disseminate essential safety information whilst he was on long term sick leave having suffered a recurring back injury. Mr Brosnan also had other complains that were considered in the case and the Judge upheld Mr Brosnan’s claims for disability discrimination. Employers must now be vigilant in ensuring that all employees, regardless of circumstances, are included in digital communication channels to foster a more inclusive work environment.

WhatsApp is a commonly used tool in the glazing and conservatory industries particularly when communicating with geographically dispersed installation teams who may well be working on the same project. We will all have to be aware in the future to remain inclusive.