The Labour Court rejected Alison McDonnell’s appeal over her race discrimination complaint against Vmware International Unlimited Company, finding that she had not established a case from which discrimination could be inferred. The Court affirmed the Adjudication Officer’s decision. Its determination was signed on 9 June 2022.
McDonnell said she had not received training in some internal systems and was not shortlisted for a Director of Deal Management role because of her race and ethnic origin. She accepted receiving starter training and said she had developed workarounds for some systems. She also argued that she was qualified for the role and that the shortlisting process lacked transparency.
The company said McDonnell received the same week-long training as colleagues and could seek further training. It said the Director role required significant people management experience, which her CV did not show. The Court heard evidence that McDonnell had received the training provided to colleagues and that substantial people management experience was required for the role. The appeal failed and the original decision was affirmed.