This weeks Prat of The Week Award goes to Imran Khan.What?
Imran Khan, one of the world's finest cricketers...have you gone mad Ken? I hear you ejaculate (can I say ejaculate on the net?).
No, not that Imran Khan, but Imran Khan the employee of Direct Line Insurance.
Khan has taken Direct Line to an employment tribunal for religious discrimination. It seems that Direct Line have done an unspeakable thing to him.
They have offered him bottles of wine as a performance incentive.
Louise Cummings, Khan's team leader, said she introduced the incentives as a means of "improving staff morale and performance".
Quote:
"If I had realised that I had hurt anyone's feelings, then I would have taken steps to rectify that immediately."
Khan is claiming that the bottles of wine on offer put him at a disadvantage because, as a Muslim, he cannot drink alcohol and was therefore unable to claim the prizes.
He is therefore seeking damages for "hurt feelings" under the Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003.
A cynic might suggest that Khan was just "trying it on".
Tariq Sadiq, speaking for Direct Line, said that another Muslim worker, who had won an alcoholic prize in a similar scheme, had "simply" exchanged it for an alternative.
I am sure that had Mr Khan used his brains, he could have found a suitable alternative.
I was about to say that as a prize for winning Prat of The Week, a bottle of Noilly Prat will be winging its way to Khan; but he would probably find that offensive.
So he will get nowt!
Blimey Ken - and there I was thinking that Anstee was bound to be this week's no. 1 Pratt of the Week - just goes to show there are some bigger idiots out there than we sometimes realise. Ho hum.
ReplyDeleteI work with Imran Khan at Direct Line in Bristol.
ReplyDeleteThis is the second time HE is suing the company.
Last year he sued the company for the same reasons, but this time there was an incentive where when you sold a policy, you had a go at the lucky dip box for prizes.
There were some good prizes but also some booby prizes, where Khan put his hand in the box and it brushed against a sausage!
He then sued the company as it was an insult to his faith, in which Direct Line settled for over 10 grand to him!
All this and he still is employed with us!
And last Christmas, there were no Christmas decorations allowed in his team as for the same reason!
When in Rome do as the Romans NOT!
I also work at direct line in bristol and think its an absolute disgrace what he is doing! There are alot of people that work at direct line from all religions and no one else has a problem asking if they can exchange there prize. I think the fact he has tried this more than once before says it all!! Hes just out for what he can get!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI work at Direct Line also and cant believe what hes doing. i think that this case shoudlnt have even gone to court. any NORMAL person would simply ask to exchange their gift but this obviously wasnt good enough for khan, he has to go TOO FAR!! by doing this will only make things worse for the rest of us employeed by Direct Line and future employees. I TOTALLY AGREE WITH KHAN BEING PRAT OF WEEK!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteLike many others i also work at Direct Line in Bristol and feel that this is a complete farce, there are many different religions and beliefs in life, but i dont understand as to why Imran feels so badly treated.Its an absolute joke and is he blatantly trying to get what he can from the company, which is pretty sad, being that most of us are quite content in going to work and earining an honest living, shame he feels that a normal wage isnt enough for him to get by on, maybe he should think about getting himself a part time job in addition to the one he already has and try a spot of saving! Anyway well done on prat of the week, it's well deserved and if theres a annual award no doubt you'll walk that one!!!!
ReplyDeletenews in, looks like he has lost the case, sense in this country for once!
ReplyDeletemaybe a sacking for bringing the work to disrepute, or just a deportation order. lol