Leeds council pays out £37,000 in tribunal cases over three years

The local authority also paid out more than £37,000 in compensation in just the past three financial years, according to information obtained following a request under the Freedom of Information Act.

It also revealed that 15 of the 16 cases that went before tribunals were on the grounds of racial discrimination.

However, the figures show that no official complaints or tribunals had been brought over any of the past five years in relation to homophobia.

The council claims that, while it did not want to comment on individual tribunal cases, it took the safety of its staff very seriously.

Statistics obtained from the authority show that, between the 2014/15 and 2018/19 financial years, the local authority received seven official complaints related to sex discrimination, two in relation to racial discrimination and 16 related to bullying.

But when it comes to tribunals, the council had received 15 in relation to race discrimination, including seven in 2018/19 alone.

This was also the year that the local authority paid out the biggest amount of cash in compensation related to these cases, with £24,800 paid out by the council.

A Leeds City Council spokesman said: “Our council values underpin everything we do and an important one of those values is treating people fairly.

“We encourage an open and supportive culture and ensure staff know that we take their safety and wellbeing very seriously.

“We are proud that Leeds is a diverse city, that’s one of the things that make it such a great place to live and work, and we do not tolerate hate crime of any kind.

“Our successful staff networks are focused on diversity and inclusion and we recognise Trade Unions and support mediation. It would not be appropriate to comment on individual tribunal cases.’’