Celebrities and the law - a Sting in the tail
By: ALISTAIR KELMAN

Celebrities and the law – a Sting in the tail

Some celebrities act as if they are above the law and not governed by the same laws and regulations that apply to the rest of us. A recent example was Paris Hilton’s high profile prison sentence, which resulted from her blatant disregard for the state of California's drink driving laws. A less glamorous, but by equally important example of celebrities falling foul of the law was the recent sex discrimination claim brought against Sting and Trudie Styler. The couple discovered that even they cannot escape the responsibilities that all employers have toward their respective employees.

Sting and Trudie’s personal chef of eight years, Jane Martin, took the couple to tribunal after she claimed that she was sacked because she fell pregnant. The tribunal panel was in full agreement and awarded her £24,944 on account of sex discrimination. The case highlighted the need, whether you are a member of the glitterati or not, to have policies in place to deal with maternity issues.

It's not just celebrities

It is not just celebrities like Sting who have had to pay out hefty sums at tribunal with charges of treating pregnant women unfairly. There have been a lot of sex discrimination claims awarded at tribunal recently from women who claimed that their pregnancy caused them to be discriminated against. A woman who worked at a launderette was awarded £2,000 in compensation recently when she was sent home by her employer for refusing to operate a piece of heavy machinery, mindful of the danger it posed to her unborn baby, and was not allowed to come back to work.

In another case, a TV executive who worked for Sky TV and had negotiated big contracts such as the rights to the Simpsons, claimed that she was forced out of her job when she fell pregnant, her boss allegedly claiming that her having a baby was "not in his plan". The TV executive was awarded an undisclosed settlement by Sky.

How can you prevent this happening to you?

All employers should have an employee handbook which sets out the business's policy with regard to maternity. You can use our service to create your own, by using the Rapidocs document Employee handbook. This document contains provisions for protecting your employees' health during pregnancy, as well as your statutory responsibilities when it comes to maternity leave and pay. By preparing ahead of time and having a policy in place, you can help to avoid the legal troubles faced by Sting and others.

You can find more information on Employment Law and others related issues in Desktop Lawyer's Law Guide.

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