UK tribunal backs sack of worker who told colleague she appeared in his dreams

A UK employment tribunal has upheld the dismissal of an IT worker who claimed he was unfairly sacked after telling a female colleague she had appeared in his dreams and sending her romantic messages.

Elrich Daudet, a former senior computer analyst at Computacenter (UK) Ltd, had sought compensation for unfair dismissal, harassment, and race and religious belief discrimination following his dismissal for gross misconduct in 2022.

Daudet argued that he possesses the gift of prophetic dreams, claiming the woman had appeared to him months before they met and inspired his poetry and songwriting.

According to tribunal documents, the colleague later complained that Daudet was making her uncomfortable by sending repeated messages and poems, including one comparing her scent to "flowers in the Garden of Eden."

Following an internal disciplinary investigation, Computacenter dismissed him for gross misconduct in December 2022. An employment tribunal later ruled that the dismissal was fair and found that his belief in prophetic dreams did not qualify as a protected philosophical belief under UK equality law.

Daudet appealed the decision, arguing that his belief went beyond personal experiences and reflected a wider conviction that dreams can predict future events. His lawyer also contended that the tribunal had wrongly concluded the colleague was alarmed by his messages.

However, Employment Appeal Tribunal Judge Lord Fairley dismissed the appeal, ruling that there was no legal error in the earlier decision.

"She thought he was coming on to her and that made her feel uncomfortable. It doesn't matter whether he touches her or if it's in an email," the judge said.

Lord Fairley also rejected the argument that Daudet's messages were protected expressions of his beliefs.

"The tribunal's conclusion that the purported belief wasn't protected discloses no error of law. On no view were any of the messages sent by the appellant manifestations of any belief held by him," he ruled.

The judge further noted that the communications included "love poems" that were "amorous in nature," adding that there was sufficient evidence the woman had been distressed by them.

The ruling brings Daudet's legal challenge against his former employer to an end.