A civil servant at the UK’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) has lost a racism lawsuit after being disciplined for misusing work hours while working from home during the COVID-19 lockdown.
Victor Stanley-Idum, a Senior Executive Officer, faced scrutiny after admitting he left his desk during office hours to run personal errands—including taking an Uber to the airport and shopping for a vacuum cleaner—while claiming he was working remotely.
The employment tribunal heard that Stanley-Idum’s supervisors grew increasingly concerned about his lax approach to work. With standard in-office oversight missing due to pandemic restrictions, managers struggled to monitor productivity.
To address this, the MoD placed him on a structured schedule to track his hours more closely.
The situation deteriorated when Stanley-Idum—who is British and of Nigerian heritage—accused his manager of racial bias, alleging that she viewed him through the lens of harmful stereotypes, including the notion that “Black Africans are lazy.”
He filed a claim for race and disability discrimination, harassment, and victimisation.
However, the tribunal rejected his case, ruling that the MoD acted reasonably given the circumstances. It found no evidence that racial prejudice played a role in the disciplinary measures.
Stanley-Idum began his MoD career in 2017 and was promoted to project manager in April 2020, just as remote work became the norm.
But by late 2021, his managers questioned his unconventional work habits and inconsistent performance.
According to the tribunal, Stanley-Idum was repeatedly unavailable during work hours without prior notice. He once claimed to have worked from an Uber taxi while picking up family at the airport, despite his role requiring secure access to online systems.
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In another instance, he missed a work meeting after stepping out to buy a vacuum cleaner, later telling his manager he had been on a break.
The MoD issued him an informal warning, citing minor misconduct and misrepresentation of availability. His manager, Sharon Docherty, implemented a check-in protocol to ensure better accountability.
Stanley-Idum responded by filing a grievance, accusing Docherty of invoking racial stereotypes. When this grievance failed, he pursued legal action—most of which was dismissed due to being filed outside the legal timeframe. The few timely claims were also thrown out.
Employment Judge Tim Adkin concluded that there was no evidence of racial stereotyping or discriminatory intent. “Concerns about Mr Stanley-Idum’s performance were based on legitimate issues around output, structure, and accountability—not race,” the judge ruled.
“We were not persuaded that any of the actions taken were rooted in prejudice or that stereotypes influenced management decisions.”
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