Today’s Times of London reports an employment law claim by a teacher who chair made flatulent noises whenever she moved. The teacher, who resigned her position, is claiming constructive dismissal, and asking for one million Pounds in compensation.
Asked why she did not sort out the problem, she told the tribunal: “It’s a health and safety issue for an employer to ensure you have a comfortable chair.”
A chair that forces a person into bad posture might well be a health and safety issue, but a chair that merely causes embarassment is plainly not a health and safety issue — although the chair should still be replaced.
4 Comments
Oh great– my employer is going to go broke in no time if my coworkers find out about this lawsuit…which they will now that I’ve forwarded it to a few women who sit in particularly flatulent chairs.
From the Silly news desk
Some news from England. It seems the United States isn’t the only place for dumb lawsuits.
Is Britain becoming more litigious? No, actually
The case of the squeaking chair is the latest example of litigation that raises an eyebrow. There is some evidence of an increase in certain types of litigiousness. A recent report from Zurich Municipal, the public sector insurer, suggests
It appears that the farting chair was not the only source of her injury — she’s alleging reprisal and intimidation as well, isn’t she? [DK: Yes. Some of her claims are more traditional.]