HR staff told to watch out for 'serial complainants'

Staff in HR jobs have been warned about the growing number of people making discrimination claims against a range of job adverts.

Gordon Turner, co-founder of Partners Employment Lawyers, warned that there are a number of serial claimants operating in the country.

Mr Turner said that some of the complaints even centre around claims that using the words 'recent graduate' and 'school leaver' in a job advert is discriminatory, reports the Telegraph.

He warned people in HR jobs that he believed there were around 30 such claimants in the UK, with one man believed to have been involved in about 150 tribunal cases.

In several of the cases, it is reported companies agreed to settlements with the man to stop him going public with his complaints - despite the fact he had not actually applied for the jobs.

"It seems that everyone takes these people at face value and gives them the benefit of the doubt," Mr Turner said of the nationwide problem.

He told Personnel Today that staff working in HR jobs should trust their gut instincts when facing tribunal claims they believe to be dubious.

Updated: 24 November 2009.
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