Weird NewsSexual Harassmenthair lossbaldness

UK Tribunal Rules Calling A Man Bald Is Sexual Harassment

The tribunal, whose members alluded to their own experience with hair loss, also compared calling a man bald to commenting on the size of a woman’s breasts.
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By 

Senior Reporter, HuffPost

Calling a man bald is considered sexual harassment, a British employment tribunal ruled on Wednesday.

Three members of the tribunal, which is a judicial body that hears workplace disputes, said that since baldness was more prevalent in men than women, using the word “bald” as an insult therefore related to a “protected characteristic of sex,” according to CNBC.

The tribunal, whose members alluded to their own experiences with hair loss, also compared calling a man bald to commenting on the size of a woman’s breasts.

The ruling was on behalf of a complaint filed by Tony Finn, who worked as an electrician for the British Bung Manufacturing Company.

Finn worked at the company, which manufactures wooden cask closures for the brewing industry, in Yorkshire for nearly 24 years before being fired last year.

Finn alleged that during a workplace argument in July 2019, his shift supervisor, Jamie King, referred to him as a “bald c**t,” according to the Guardian.

The panel noted that Finn had not complained about the use of a four-letter word, but was offended by being called bald.

“We have little doubt that being referred to in this pejorative manner was unwanted conduct as far as [Finn] was concerned,” the tribunal found. “This is strong language. Although, as we find, industrial language was commonplace on this West Yorkshire factory floor, in our judgment Mr King crossed the line by making remarks personal to the claimant about his appearance.”

The panel noted that “it is difficult to conclude other than that Mr King uttered those words with the purpose of violating [Finn’s] dignity and creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for him.”

The judgment found that King intended to threaten and insult Finn and, added, “in our judgment, there is a connection between the word ‘bald’ on the one hand and the protected characteristic of sex on the other.”

The panel said that while the company’s lawyer correctly noted that women can also go bald, it noted, “as all three members of the tribunal will vouchsafe, baldness is much more prevalent in men than women” and “we find it to be inherently related to sex.”

Although Finn did win his claims of unfair dismissal, wrongful dismissal, being subjected to detriments and sex harassment, he lost an additional claim for age discrimination.

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Before You Go

10 Reasons You're Going Bald
Hair Loss From Thyroid Problems(01 of10)
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Either an underactive thyroid, a medical condition called hypothyroidism, or an overactive thyroid, or hyperthyroidism, can result in hair loss because each condition causes a hormonal imbalance. Hormones help to regulate nearly every function in the body, including hair growth. Getting the right treatment to control either of these thyroid conditions will get hormones under control, stop hair loss, and allow your hair to starting grow back. (credit:Getty Images)
Thinning Hair Following Pregnancy(02 of10)
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Other hormonal imbalances can also lead to hair loss, especially the wildly fluctuating hormones that occur following pregnancy and childbirth. It takes time after pregnancy for hormone levels to return to normal, so it's not at all uncommon for post-partum moms to notice thinning hair or even patches of baldness. This often occurs about three months after baby’s arrival. Don't worry — as the rest of your body recovers, so will your hair follicles. The hair loss is only temporary — your hair will grow back. (credit:Getty Images)
Hair Loss Due to Medications(03 of10)
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Hair loss is a side effect of a number of medications taken for common health problems. Blood-thinning medications, oral contraceptives, drugs for depression, NSAIDs, and beta and calcium channel blockers can all lead to thinning hair or baldness. Too much vitamin A and vitamin A-based drugs called retinoids can cause hair loss as well. Some chemotherapy drugs used to treat cancer are known to cause total hair loss as they work to destroy cancer cells. Just as hair usually grows back after chemo, it should also grow back once you stop taking any medication that causes hair loss. (credit:Getty Images)
Different Types Of Alopecia(04 of10)
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Alopecia is the medical term for hair loss, and there are two main types: alopecia areata and androgenic (androgenetic) alopecia. Alopecia may cause hair loss only on the scalp or all over the body. It may result in thinning hair, patches of hair loss, some balding, or total baldness, and it may be permanent or temporary. There are numerous causes, including genetics. Talk to your doctor about possible treatments. (credit:Getty Images)
Physical Trauma: A Shock To Hair Follicles(05 of10)
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When your body is under serious physical stress, the natural cycle of hair growth and resting can be disrupted, resulting in hair loss, often in the form of thinning hair — strands may come out in clumps. Any shock to the system, such as being in a severe accident, undergoing surgery, experiencing burns, or becoming very ill, can also shock the hair follicles, resulting in up to 75 percent of your hair falling out, sometimes months after the fact. (credit:Getty Images)
Emotional Stress And Your Hair(06 of10)
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When you're dealing with a life-altering event, like a divorce or break-up, bankruptcy or other financial problems, the loss of a home, or the death of a loved one, significant emotional stress can also disrupt the normal cycle of hair growth. Significant emotional stressors can cause temporary hair loss, but once stress is brought under control, normal hair growth is usually restored. (credit:Getty Images)
Diet Deficiencies: Your Hair Is What You Eat(07 of10)
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The essential vitamins and nutrients, like protein, that you get from a healthy, varied, and well-balanced diet ensure good health all throughout your body, making sure all your organs and internal systems are working just as they should. Poor nutrition or following a severely restrictive crash or fad diet can lead to all kinds of nutrient deficiencies, which in turn can result in hair loss, from thinning hair to patches of baldness. (credit:Getty Images)
Extreme Hair Care(08 of10)
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In an effort to create a stylish hairdo, you can actually cause significant damage and breakage to strands, which could result in hair loss and thinning hair. Shampooing or blow-drying too frequently, repeatedly using heated styling tools, pulling on hair — whether from blow-drying it or styling it in a too-tight ponytail, for instance — or too vigorously rubbing the scalp can all lead to hair loss. (credit:Getty Images)
Infections That Cause Hair Loss(09 of10)
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A number of infections and illnesses can lead to hair loss. An infection that causes a high fever, a fungal skin infection, and bacterial infections like syphilis can all be responsible for balding or thinning hair. Treating the underlying infection can restore hair growth and prevent future hair loss. So your first step is to seek medical attention for the primary health problem. (credit:Shutterstock)
Autoimmune Diseases That Affect Hair(10 of10)
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Alopecia areata is often associated with an autoimmune disease, so it's thought that some forms of hair loss can be caused by one of these medical conditions or is at least somehow related to it. Diabetes and lupus are two autoimmune diseases that can result in hair loss. This type of hair loss may not always be reversible — it may sometimes be permanent. But medications and hair restoration surgeries may help compensate for any hair loss. (credit:Shutterstock)
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