A London NHS worker has been awarded almost £30,000 in compensation after being compared to Star Wars villain Darth Vader at work.
Lorna Rooke’s colleague took an online Star Wars-themed personality test on her behalf, which compared the NHS blood donation worker to one of the world’s most recognisable ‘baddies’.
An employment tribunal in Croydon found that being told you have the same personality type as an infamous villain is a workplace “detriment”, meaning harm or negative impact experienced by a person.
“Darth Vader is a legendary villain of the Star Wars series, and being aligned with his personality is insulting,” employment judge Kathryn Ramsden said.
The tribunal also threw out Ms Rooke’s colleague’s argument that there were positive attributes to Darth Vader.
Ms Rooke claimed that the comparison had made her feel unpopular, and it was one of the reasons she resigned the following month.
A judge ruled that the Darth Vader result came about when a colleague was “standing in the shoes” of Ms Rooke and reflected her colleague’s perception of the NHS worker.
It was then shared in a group environment, leaving the judge to add: “It is little wonder that the claimant was upset by it.”
Members of Ms Rooke’s team have completed a Star Wars theme personality-type questionnaire in August 2021, but she had temporarily left the meeting to take a personal call, the tribunal found. When she returned to the meeting, her colleague Amanda Harber had completed the questionnaire on her behalf.
The Myers-Brigg Type Indicator sorts people into 16 personality categories based on how introverted or extroverted they are, whether they are led by thoughts or feelings.
In the context of this personality test, the Darth Vader category was described as a “very focused individual” who could bring teams together.
The tribunal rejected Ms Rooke’s claim that the “Darth Vader incident” had prompted her to leave, but said it was a “detriment”.
She won the case for detriment after a protected disclosure but lost claims for unfair dismissal, disability discrimination and failure to make reasonable adjustments.
She was awarded £28,989.61 in compensation.
An NHSBT spokesperson said: “We acknowledge the outcome of the tribunal. We are committed to maintaining and continually improving a respectful and inclusive workplace for all colleagues.”
