An employment tribunal has ruled in favour of Marks & Spencer after a former personal assistant accused the retailer of race discrimination over an internal restructuring initiative known as “Project Coffee.”
The tribunal dismissed every aspect of the claim, concluding that there was no evidence to support allegations that the project was linked to race-based recruitment or discriminatory treatment.
The case was brought by Claudia Royer, who had spent nine years working for the retailer before losing her position during a restructuring process in 2023.
Redundancy Followed Company Reorganisation
Ms Royer’s employment came to an end in October 2023 after the company reorganised personal assistant roles within its Foods division.
Following her redundancy, she challenged the decision, arguing that the internal project titled “Project Coffee” concealed a plan to replace existing employees with personal assistants from more diverse ethnic backgrounds.
According to her claim, the project name itself carried racial significance and reflected an effort to change the demographic makeup of the department.
Retailer Denied Any Racial Motive
Marks & Spencer firmly rejected the allegations throughout the proceedings, maintaining that “Project Coffee” had no connection to diversity recruitment.
The company explained that the title had been adopted years earlier as part of a broader corporate restructuring programme introduced in 2019.
The retailer argued that the project was focused solely on organisational changes and that Ms Royer’s redundancy resulted from legitimate business restructuring rather than discriminatory decision-making.
Tribunal Examined Recruitment Concerns
During the hearing, evidence showed that several new personal assistants joined the organisation around the same period as the restructuring, including at least one Black employee.
Ms Royer pointed to these appointments as supporting her belief that the project involved race-conscious hiring.
The tribunal also heard that she had been asked to welcome the new recruits, something she interpreted as part of the alleged initiative.
However, the company maintained that greeting incoming colleagues was a routine responsibility expected of someone in her position.
Internal Investigation Dismissed Complaint
Before the legal proceedings, Ms Royer had lodged a formal grievance with the company.
The complaint was investigated by manager Rachel Lowe, who concluded that Ms Royer had misunderstood the purpose of Project Coffee and that her concerns were unfounded.
An appeal against that internal decision was later reviewed but reached the same conclusion, leaving the original findings unchanged.
Judge Criticises Basis of the Claim
Employment Judge Anthony Snelson found that Ms Royer had become firmly attached to what he described as an unsupported theory about a secret recruitment programme.
He noted that she continued advancing the allegation even after being presented with documentation explaining that Project Coffee referred to an organisational restructuring.
The judge also rejected the suggestion that asking her to welcome newly recruited employees indicated discriminatory intent, describing the request as an ordinary aspect of her role within the business.
All Legal Claims Dismissed
After reviewing the evidence, the London Central Employment Tribunal concluded that Ms Royer’s dismissal resulted from a genuine redundancy exercise rather than unlawful discrimination.
Her race discrimination complaint, unfair dismissal claim and all remaining allegations were dismissed, bringing the case to a close with judgment in favour of Marks & Spencer.
