A Muslim woman who said she was rejected for job in a trendy hair salon because she wore a headscarf has picked up £4,000 for her hurt “feelings.”
Bushra Noah, 19, said salon owner Sarah Desrosiers religiously discriminated against her when she was turned down for a job.
But Ms Desrosiers said Ms Noah, of Acton, west London, was turned down because she needed stylists to reflect the �funky, urban� image of her salon and showcase alternative hairstyles.
Yesterday the central London employment tribunal backed her complaint of indirect discrimination.
Ms Desrosiers, 32, said: “I feel it is a bit steep for what actually happened. It’s really scary for a small business.
“I never in a million years dreamt that somebody would be completely against the display of hair and be in this industry. I don’t feel I deserve it.”
Ms Desrosiers added that if an applicant had a conventional hairstyle she would insist that it was re-styled in a more “alternative” way.
The tribunal said that Ms Desrosiers and Mrs Noah had a 15-minute interview last May at her Wedge salon in London’s King’s Cross.
But when the 19-year-old applicant arrived at the salon she claimed that the Canadian salon owner was clearly shocked by the fact she wore a headscarf.
Ms Desrosiers told the tribunal she was surprised that the younger woman had not mentioned it earlier.
Both parties told the tribunal it was obvious that the 19-year-old would not be offered the job.
But the tribunal panel awarded Ms Noah compensation as they concluded it was not known how her headscarf would affect the business.
The panel ruled: “There was no specific evidence before us as to what would have been the actual impact of the claimant working in her salon with her head covered at all times.”