Red Bull employee to go to employment tribunal if appeal against Christian Horner fails: report – Firstpost
In 2023, Horner was accused of sexual harassment by a female employee, who has not yet been named. She had accused Horner of behaving aggressively towards her.
The Red Bull Racing employee, who filed a complaint of inappropriate behavior against team principal Christian Horner, is expected to take the matter to an employment tribunal if an appeal against her dismissal fails. According to a report from The GuardianIf the employee went to court, her actions could potentially call into question the private details of the case so far, which has haunted Horner and his Red Bull team over the past two months.
In 2023, Horner was accused of sexual harassment by a female employee, who has not yet been named. She had accused Horner of behaving aggressively towards her. An investigation was then opened by Red Bull in early February, but the allegations were cleared later in February. The same employee then appealed the said decision.
Red Bull also did not provide details of the investigation, including the name of the King’s Counsel (KC), the nature of the complaint or its findings. Horner, however, denied any wrongdoing and demanded that a point be made in the controversy. Legal experts, however, believe the process could still be lengthy if the woman pursues her appeal in the employment tribunal. “It’s like a road map, these are the steps along the way,” Tania Goodman, an employment manager and partner at law firm Collyer Bristow, told the Guardian.
“If an employee has a complaint or grievance, they raise it internally, perhaps informally at first, but if the issue is not resolved then it becomes formal and investigated and of a review, usually as part of a grievance hearing, after which a result is given. If the employee is not satisfied with the decision, they can then appeal internally and at the end of this process, if they are still not satisfied, they can go to an employment tribunal.” she added.
An email was leaked to the FIA, F1, media as well as teams containing messages claiming it was a relationship between the employee and Horner. The authenticity of the messages has not yet been confirmed by Red Bull. Speculation surrounding this affair, however, remains lively.
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“In these circumstances (coming before an employment tribunal), the confidentiality attached to internal proceedings would no longer apply,” Goodman added.
“A final hearing is open to the public during which information about the case is available, including the nature of the complaints, testimony, arguments, the court’s findings and a written judgment,” she said.
After her grievance was dismissed, the employee was suspended from Red Bull Racing, based on evidence she provided during a disciplinary investigation. The appeal process is, however, ongoing and Red Bull has not given any details on when it will conclude.
