Overview

• Employment Judge Dawn Shotter said the term “gents” is old-fashioned and unacceptable in a modern corporate environment.
• The tribunal rejected Elaine Scott’s sex discrimination claim, finding no evidence that the term influenced the genuine redundancy process at Royal & Sun Alliance.
• Gareth Quantrill, head of the Liverpool treasury department, admitted his use of the term was “thoughtless” and “lazy” and intended only for named male recipients.
• The tribunal noted that Scott did not pursue alternative roles after being informed of her redundancy risk in 2022.
• The decision follows a recent tribunal ruling that the use of the word “lads” can legally constitute unwanted conduct and further highlights scrutiny of gender-specific terms at work.