Civil servant wins dress code case

A BRITISH civil servant who claimed he was a victim of sexual discrimination because he was ordered to wear a collar and tie to work has won his employment tribunal case.

Matthew Thompson, 32, from Stockport, complained that a dress code at the job centre where he worked required men to wear a tie but allowed women to wear T-shirts.

Mr Thompson, an administrative assistant, said he was “delighted” at the decision of the Manchester tribunal.

The Department for Work and Pensions said it was “very disappointed” and added it was lodging an appeal.

The Public and Commercial Services Union said the decision was a “victory for common sense”.

The union has a number of other cases lined up which it will now raise with Whitehall departments.

“The tribunal’s ruling means the dress code is discriminatory,” it said. “It forces management to sit down with us and come to a solution.”

But the Department for Work and Pensions said it still maintained dress standards were an important part of providing a professional service.

“We are going to ask our staff to continue to dress in a professional and businesslike way pending the appeal,” said an official.