Sales director, 61, who was going to be sacked wins £71,000 payout for age ... trends now

Sales director, 61, who was going to be sacked wins £71,000 payout for age ... trends now
Sales director, 61, who was going to be sacked wins £71,000 payout for age ... trends now

Sales director, 61, who was going to be sacked wins £71,000 payout for age ... trends now

A company sales director whose middle-aged boss told him he did not want to hire a 'team of bald-headed 50-year-old men' has won more than £70,000 in an age discrimination case. 

Mark Jones, 61, claimed that Philip Hesketh had complained about a lack of workplace diversity before his employer Tangos Network moved to dismiss, a tribunal heard..

Mr Hesketh, who is bald, had previously voiced disappointment that candidates for a recent job at the mobile phone firm where they worked had been 'mirror images' of himself.

The company then 'chipped away' at 'undynamic' Mr Jones, who has a full head of hair, as part of a 'firm plan' to remove him from his £60,000 a year job before he acquired employment rights for working there two years, the hearing was told.

When Mr Jones was put on a 'sham' performance improvement plan (PIP), he raised a grievance which was rejected, in what the tribunal called a 'rubber stamping exercise' to 'cover Mr Hesketh's back'.

Mark Jones, 61, (pictured) was told by boss Philip Hesketh he wanted change of 'dynamics'

Mark Jones, 61, (pictured) was told by boss Philip Hesketh he wanted change of 'dynamics'

After resigning, he took Tango Networks Ltd to court and was awarded £71,441 after the tribunal ruled the firm had discriminated against him.

The panel concluded: 'Mr Hesketh perceived Mr Jones as un-dynamic and he associated more dynamic people with the characteristics of younger people.

The tribunal, held in Leeds, heard Mr Jones was 59 when he started working as a channel account director at the company - which sells licences for mobile phone SIM cards for businesses - in January 2019.

In addition to his salary he was also eligible for up to £40,000 a year in commission payments.

When a vacancy opened up late in 2020, Mr Jones recommended a candidate called Murray Grimes, who was invited to apply for the role by Mr Hesketh.

At the tribunal, Mr Hesketh admitted to having a conversation about 57-year-old Mr Grimes with Mr Jones, after the interview, where he said it was 'a shame' there hadn't been more diversity in the interviewees, who were a 'mirror image' of himself - middle aged white men.

Mr Jones told the tribunal this had been 'part of the conversation', but remembered Mr Hesketh, saying: 'I don't want a team of bald-headed 50 year old men - I want to change the dynamics.'

The panel heard that Mr Grimes was one of the final three candidates, but only the other two - both in their 40s - were invited to a further interview before both being offered the job.

It was heard Mr Hesketh had described desirable colleagues or candidates as 'high energy', 'energetic' and 'youthful'.

Philip Hesketh (pictured), who is bald, voiced disappointment that candidates for a recent job at the mobile phone firm where they worked had been 'mirror images' of himself

Philip Hesketh (pictured), who is bald, voiced disappointment that candidates for a recent job at the mobile phone firm where they worked had been 'mirror images' of himself

On 18 December 2020, a meeting invitation from Mr Hesketh to the company's CEO said he wanted to offer the two candidates the job, on the 'provision' they 'move Mark on very early in Jan 2021'.

The tribunal rejected Tango's reasoning that 'move him on' had meant 'move his performance on' and concluded there had been a 'firm plan to dismiss Mr Jones and replace him with another candidate' before he had two

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