Because of gossip from colleagues: an ex-courier sued his employer and received compensation (2 photos)

Delivery company DPD did not stop, but even encouraged, its employees to spread rumors about their driver Courtney Rawlins. The man filed a lawsuit against the employer for such behavior, and the court established the cause of unlawful actions against the plaintiff.





A worker for the famous British delivery service DPD, Courtney Rawlins, received more than 20 thousand pounds sterling in compensation after he filed a lawsuit. In his appeal, the man insisted that his colleagues spread gossip about him only working four days a week.

Journalists point out that Mr. Rawlins' lawsuit states that the dissemination of his private information forced the man to go to court. However, the main reason why the courier changed his work schedule only became known during the court hearings.

The media points out that Rawlins started working as a driver for the parcel delivery service DPD in February 2021, and in early 2022 he contacted the company's management. He asked to agree on a more flexible work schedule. The whole reason was that in March 2022 he was due to become a father and decided to take maternity leave to care for the newborn.

DPD allegedly agreed to update his employment contract, which came into force in April 2022. He was allowed to work 10 hours from Monday to Thursday and will not work on Fridays. However, in court, Rawlins stated that the company's management was allegedly unhappy with the new working conditions.



The media writes that during the trial, the reasons for such "dissatisfaction" with the man's work became known. One of the interviewed witnesses stated that the company deliberately announced the change in Rawlins' work schedule, and also adds that they probably "talked about him behind his back".

The court then found that his colleague, driver Mark Jackson, openly complained about Rawlins' schedule and said that he "did not understand" how he was "allowed" to work four days a week. However, the judge found that it was the plaintiff's new working conditions that led to "gossip, which gave rise to more gossip".

In addition, Rawlins notes that due to the reduction in working days, he had to work much more than usual. The company itself began to assign him additional parcels, which he was not informed about in advance.

Then the courier began to receive mocking comments from his colleagues that he now "only had four working days", and he was allegedly unemployed. The courier himself filed a complaint about the meaningless behavior of his colleagues. However, without receiving the proper response, he resigned from DPD in October 2022 and sued his former employer.

During the hearing, the court found that it was gossip and the company's inadequate policy on the privacy of Rawlins that led to his dismissal. Based on this, the judge ordered the former courier to be paid more than 20 thousand pounds in compensation for the disclosure of confidential information, as well as the lack of response from the employer to the dissemination of unlawful slander against Rawlins. The court rejected the plaintiff's other claims regarding discrimination based on gender and regarding his parental leave.