An employment tribunal in Manchester, UK, ruled on Thursday that a British warehouse worker sacked for allegedly imitating Michael Jackson in front of a colleague, was unfairly dismissed.
The worker, Lucasz Zawadzki, was accused by a Black colleague of mimicking the pop star by making high-pitched “hee hee” sounds, a signature of Jackson’s performances. The colleague also accused Zawadzki of making monkey noises and engaging in racist behaviour at the Co-operative warehouse where they worked, the tribunal heard on Thursday.
Zawadzki acknowledged making what he described as “embarrassing and childish” sounds on the job but denied any racist intent behind his actions.
Employment judge Carol Porter found that the Co-operative Group had unfairly dismissed Zawadzki and ordered the company to pay him more than £10,000 in compensation.
The ruling underscores the importance of thorough investigations into workplace allegations before decisive action is taken, the tribunal noted.
