Belfast Office
12 Carnmoney Road
Glengormley
County Antrim BT36 6HN
Leeds Office
West One
114 Wellington Street
Leeds
West Yorkshire
LS1 1BA
London Office
124 City Road
London EC1V 2NX
Newcastle Office
Gear House
Saltmeadows Road
Gateshead
Tyne and Wear NE8 3AH
Telephone: 0808 1687 288
Email: enquiries@pauldoranlaw.com
Can a man bring a sex discrimination claim?
Can a man bring a sex discrimination claim?
The short answer is yes, a man CAN bring a sex discrimination claim. This article gives more details.
Imagine overhearing a conversation between two working men who don’t know each other but who pass each other on the street in South London. Here’s what they say:
“Ello, mate!”
“Ow ya doing’, fella?”
That actually happened, quite recently. Legally, men calling each other “Mate” and “Fella” is no problem at all.
But what if one of them called the other “Baldie?”
Or a female boss told a male worker to “Man up”?
Or male staff were paid less than female staff for a similar role at the same workplace?
Could that amount to sex discrimination? Yes, it could, as shown in these cases.
Example 1
For 24 years, Tony Finn worked as an electrician for the British Bung Company in Yorkshire (they make wooden cask closures for the brewing industry).
He never had any disciplinary problems during all that time. But he had two arguments about the maintenance of equipment with factory supervisor, Jamie King, in 2019 and 2021. On both occasions, Jamie referred to Tony as a “bald c***”.
Then, in May 2021, Tony was dismissed.
He had felt the comments were personally offensive, so he went to the Employment Tribunal in 2022.
The Employment Judge, Jonathan Brain, ruled there was a connection between the word “bald” and the protected characteristic of sex.
Tony therefore won his claims of harassment relating to sex, unfair dismissal and wrongful dismissal. His claim of harassment relating to age was dismissed.
In 2023, the company went to The Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) arguing that it wasn’t sex discrimination because women can be bald too, perhaps as a fashion choice or due to cancer treatment.
The EAT found that protection against sex-related harassment in the Equality Act is intended to apply to acts that are specific to being male or female, that a man was more likely to be bald than a woman, and so more likely to be on the receiving end of comments about it.
The Judge said: “Mr King made the remark with a view to hurting the claimant by commenting on his appearance which is often found amongst men.”
He found that baldness is inherently related to sex, and that Jamie’s conduct was:
- Unwanted
- Violated Tony’s dignity
- Created an intimidating environment for him
- And was related to his sex
The EAT therefore upheld the original decision.
In 2008, a teacher claimed he was a victim of disability discrimination because of his baldness. However, he lost his tribunal claim after the judge said baldness was “not an impairment” and so was not covered by the then Disability Discrimination Act, now the Equality Act 2010.
Example 2
Peter Marsh was the only male employee in the Cheetham and Crumpsall health visiting team employed by Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust.
He experienced several episodes where he felt he was discriminated against by his female co-workers because of his sex.
Flashback to 2018. Peter asked a Nursery Nurse, Ms Whittall, to assist him with some work, but she ignored him. He reminded her that he was a band 6 and she was a band 4, so he was entitled to call on her to help. After this fall-out, they both complained about each other to the Head of Service, Lisa Sanchez. Lisa conducted a mediation meeting in which Peter felt she’d sided with Ms Whittall.
Peter was a trade union representative and had raised concerns about a pilot scheme that members feared would add to their already heavy workload. At a team meeting the day after the altercation, Lisa asked for a show of hands to indicate “Who’s in Pete’s union and who agrees with Pete?” He felt her enquiry was aggressive, confrontational, and had the intention of dividing the team against him.
At another team meeting a short while later, Tony claimed that Lisa ignored his presence completely, because she ended by saying “Goodbye ladies”.
Over the next few months, tensions escalated as managers were attempting to change the team’s working pattern.
Lisa held a meeting in January 2019 to discuss the reshuffle. Peter wasn’t there that day, but his colleagues criticised him in his absence, claiming that their voices weren’t being heard in trade union meetings. Lisa didn’t challenge or counter these concerns, which effectively allowed the other team members to continue to be negative about Peter and his trade union role.
The next day, he complained that he received a “grilling” from team members about the proposed moves.
Meanwhile, Lisa told her managers about the team meeting and said there there was a breakdown in the relationship between Peter and another Nursery Nurse. She thought his trade union duties were having an impact on the team which led to a “strong feeling of disgruntlement” about him and another trade union representative.
That same month, two Health Visitors in the team emailed Lisa with their concerns about the reshuffle and low team morale.
In a February 2019 team meeting, one team member raised concerns about the office atmosphere. The discussion became heated, during which some team members blamed Peter. Trying to regain control, Lisa said that people could only speak when spoken to. Peter objected, at which point Lisa lost her temper and told him: “You need to man up!”
After the meeting, Peter submitted a ‘Dignity at Work’ complaint, saying – as a lone male in the workplace – he felt bullied and harassed by several female staff.
After a prolonged investigation, his complaints were dismissed, as were complaints made about him by some female colleagues.
He therefore went to the Employment Tribunal with claims of direct sex discrimination.
The Tribunal concluded that Peter was unlawfully discriminated against because of his sex:
- The “Goodbye, ladies” comment excluded Peter because of his gender
- He was directly discriminated against because of his sex when Lisa told him to “man-up”
- He was the butt of unnecessary jokes about being the only man in the team
- The sexist culture was tolerated by his immediate management
- The Trust pursued an investigation into wholly unfounded allegations against him
Example 3
We often share relevant case studies that we didn’t work on, such as the two stories detailed above. But this is one of ours. A landmark case, which we were delighted to win for our clients.
We represented 18 male caretakers and tradesmen who were employed by the University of Wales, Trinity St David (UWTSD).
Our clients originally worked at Swansea Metropolitan University which merged with UWTSD. However, they found they were paid less than their female counterparts on the same pay grade, including secretaries and office workers, due to a decision made by Swansea Metropolitan University in 2007.
Initially, UWTSD argued that the pay difference was not due to gender but because of changes to the men’s contracts.
We helped the male employees sue for sex discrimination at the Cardiff employment tribunal, and won them around £500,000 in compensation.
The university’s legal team agreed to drop the case and agreed to pay out to the claimants and five more men on the same pay grade.
We think this might be the biggest group of men to have launched sex discrimination claims in Britain.
Paul Doran said: “I’m absolutely delighted for my clients… While it is disappointing that they were required to take it all the way to tribunal, the acknowledgment that they were right all along will be just as enjoyable as the compensation they will receive.”
What this means to you
Under the Equality Act 2010, it is unlawful direct discrimination for one person to treat another less favourably because of a protected characteristic such as their sex.
Your employer should foster an inclusive culture in your workplace where discriminatory language or behaviour is not tolerated. All staff should be trained so they know what behaviours are unacceptable and what they need to do if they witness or experience inappropriate behaviour. For example, people at work shouldn’t make offensive comments about your gender or physical appearance.
Sex discrimination claims are not exclusively brought by women. Male employees can find themselves treated less favourably because of their sex. If it happens to you, please give us a call. We’ll be happy to help.
Related reading
For more about this topic, please see our related articles:
- Sex discrimination
- I was refused a job because I’m a white man. Can I bring a claim?
- My colleague has made sexist comments
- Sex discrimination at work
- I’ve been discriminated against for my sexual orientation
Need help?
We have already helped thousands of people to win millions of pounds in compensation.
You have a choice of ways to pay, including ‘no win, no fee’.
Share Article With:
Call us on
0808 1687288
or fill in this
Free Online Enquiry
(no cost or obligation)
What Our Clients Say
I found all the staff to be knowledgeable and highly professional. Stephanie W
My experience has been a very professional one. The case ran smoothly from the get go. I was always kept in the loop. Dinah T
Up to date information. Easy to contact. Knowledgeable solicitor. No win without him. Audrey S
Very good. Always stayed within the timescales given. Sound advice, would recommend. Ken S
Efficient and helpful. Takes the claimant points into consideration. Angela R
Paul Doran Law has been extremely helpful and supportive in very difficult circumstances. I would highly recommend them as professionals to others and have a lot of faith in their advice. David R
Although a lengthy case I have been constantly updated throughout. Susan R
Paul answered me promptly, was very helpful and advised me what to do. Winifred P
Paul Doran was very helpful during my communication. Friendly and professional. Adrian M
Cormac is a very reassuring person, he made sure I was kept up to date as my case progressed and was always supportive when I got the jitters. He was very diligent and methodical whilst representing me. Iain M
Professional approach and positive attitude. Shirley M
Competent and efficient and very pleasant to deal with. Cloda McN
Cormac explained my options and talked me through each step and advised me of the best possible outcome. Gerard McL
Very helpful. Emma McA
Satisfied with service. Susan H
Very satisfied with the professional way case was handled. Evelyn H
Staff and solicitor very helpful at all times. Solicitor very knowledgeable and took my case and concerns seriously, and in a very professional manner. Deborah H
Friendly, efficient and very professional. Charlotte G
Very friendly and competent service. Peter G
My experience using Paul was very professional at all times. Kept me up to date at all times throughout the process. Blanche G
Very professional, friendly and efficient. Kept me informed throughout the process. Straight forward service which is exactly what I needed. Paula F
Good end result, Paul did a lot of work. Thank you. Lyn E
Felt at ease and was listened to; got excellent advice. Gemma D
Very professional and always willing to help and offer advice when needed on the situation. Lytreena D
Outstanding, friendly service from start to finish. Matthew C
Very professional and always left valued as a client. I feel that the company has worked very hard to get me a good result. Christine C
From day one there was a plan of action. I feel I was listened to and heard, after which the process was then easy. Kanta C
I would highly recommend. Karen B
Confident in representation. June B
Very happy with all aspects of my experience from initial contact to finish. Andrew B
Understanding and very prompt. Michelle W
Completely professional, and secured a settlement beyond my expectations. Cormac was exceptional – very many thanks. Joan W
Very happy with results. Very grateful for all Paul and his team have done for me. I feel valued as a client, my questions were always answered very quickly. Thank you. Anna V
Very good, professional. Amida S
Always responsive, courteous and supportive. Would recommend to friends and family without hesitation. David S
Easy and efficient and professional at all times. Stephanie R
Very good. Yusuf O
Excellent, efficient and prompt legal advice. Very satisfied with service provided. Lisa N
It took me a long time to find a solicitor who would support my case. I’m so glad I found Paul Doran Law who brought me success. Shirley N
I have had a very pleasant experience using Paul Doran Law and would definitely use again. Rebecca McM
The service was always informative, dignified and respectful. Chloe McL
I would definitely recommend. Colleen McB
Cormac was excellent from start to finish. I have already recommended him to friends and family. Sam M
Paul Doran Law were professional and very concerned about my feelings and what I had been through. I felt that they cared. Lisa M
Professional, helpful, very knowledgeable. Highly recommended. Bekki M
I found Cormac very compassionate and was always there as I had a lot of queries. Stephen McG
Impressed with accessibly, speed of response and professionalism. Edna L
Cormac was very professional and reassuring at all times. Kat K
Great, a good experience. Thank you. Mary K
Professional, efficient and friendly. Tabitha K
Very well treated throughout. I was always listened to and my questions answered. Allan H
I found Mr Rice to be professional, amiable and my overall experience was a positive one. Marcel G
I received valued information initially and came back later to receive a very satisfactory outcome. Lyn F
Put at ease very early on which helped me feel less stress. Harry D
I can’t thank you enough. I am so glad with the outcome and will recommend you. Christopher B
Cormac was great. Tom B
I would recommend Paul’s legal service as it is professional and thorough. Shelia H
This claim has been handled professionally and without delays. I am totally satisfied. Kelly L
Should the need arise I would definitely use Paul Doran’s services again. Suzie U
Any queries were answered quickly with detailed responses. Sharon H
Everything was written very simply and in plain English which was good. Sylvia B
When time lines have been set, they have been met. I did not just feel like a case number. Karen S
When I emailed, Paul replied straight away.Very friendly and easy to talk to. Rita C
Paul was very thorough and helpful and successfully brought my case to an end. Margaret C
I feel strongly that Paul cares about clients. Pamela R
Paul was very reasonable and fair regarding the fees deducted from my claim offer I was awarded. Deborah McM
Very professional all the way through the process. Sharon C
I found all the staff to be knowledgeable and highly professional. Stephanie W
Well informed and easy to contact. I wouldn’t have won my case without him. Audrey S
Very good. Always stayed within the timescales given. Sound advice. Would recommend. Ken S
Efficient. Helpful. Take the clients points into consideration. Angela R
Paul Doran Law has been extremely helpful and supportive in very difficult circumstances. David R
Although a lengthy case, I have been constantly updated throughout. Jenny R
Professional and efficient service with helpful and friendly staff. Susan R
My case was handled professionally and my solicitor was very understanding and quick to respond. Eleanor P
Paul was very helpful and friendly. Adrian M
Cormac is a very reassuring person. He was very supportive when I got the jitters. Iain M
Kept going when it did not good and achieved a successful outcome. Shirley M
Competent, efficient and very pleasant to deal with. Cloda McN
Cormac deserves a salary for counselling alone! Lesley A
Cormac explained my options and talked me through each step and advised me of the best possible outcome. Gerard McL
They were quick to get things sorted. Emma McA
Very satisfied with the outcome to my case. Evelyn H
Solicitor very knowledgeable and took my case and concerns seriously in a very professional manner. Deborah H
Friendly, efficient and very professional. Charlotte G
I liked the personal touch. I received phone calls with updates instead of relying on letters all of the time. Sharon C
Very friendly and competent service. Peter G
Very professional. Kept me up to date at all times throughout the process. Blanche G
Straightforward service which is exactly what I needed. Paula F
Good end result. Paul did a lot of work. Lyn E
Very professional and always willing to help and offer advice when needed. Lytreena D
Very pleasant manner from staff and solicitors. Sara C
Outstanding. Friendly service from start to finish. Matthew C
I feel the company worked very hard to get the result. Christine C
From day one there was a plan of action. I feel I was listened to and heard after which to prove the case got easy. Kanta C
I would highly recommend. Karen B
Very good overall service. Judith B
Very happy with all aspects of my experience from initial contact to finish. Andrew B
Very professional, friendly and efficient. Kept me informed throughout the process. Paula F
Very professional. I always felt valued as a client Christine C
Paul was extremely professional and efficient Lesley A
Outstanding – friendly service from start to finish Matthew C
Paul Doran was very helpful during my communications, friendly & professional. Adrian M
I found right from the beginning Paul was very friendly and easy to ask questions at any time. Rita C
Paul is prompt, friendly and approachable. I liked how he was committed to my case and kept me informed. Judith P
I appreciate the thorough and expedient manner to which the task was completed. Barbara H
I feel Paul really cares about his clients and works to get the best outcome and justice for them. Elaine S
My claim has been handled professionaly and without delays. I am totally satisfied. Kelly L
Paul’s legal service is professional and thorough. Sharon H
I entrusted him with something that was very important to me and he did not let me down. Deborah McM
I was in contact with Paul on many occasions and all queries were dealt with personally and politely. Judith C
It has been a pleasure using Paul Doran Law. I would recommend him to friends and family. Sylvia B
Cormac was an absolute pleasure to work with – very polite, helpful, and thoughtful. Jessica D
Paul was polite and considerate and efficient. I would highly recommend this firm Geraldine A
I have been very impressed by the industry knowledge and the level of service provided. Nuala M
Quick, honest and responsive.
J Chambers
The service provided has been delivered beyond expectation.
K L Stokoe
Recommend without reservation.
J Taylor
If Paul had not taken on my case, I would not have received monies owed to me. E Shefford
I would recommend Paul’s legal service as it is professional and thorough. S Hall
Why Choose Us?
- We only work for employees
- 25+ Years' Experience
- No Win, No Fee available
- Insurance to protect against Tribunal fees