Mobile field support driver ordered to pay deposit for eight discrimination claims with little prospect
A tribunal ordered a mobile field support driver to pay a £20 deposit for each of her eight sex and race discrimination allegations, finding they had little reasonable prospect of success.
1 min read · Last updated 18 May 2026
Case details
- #sex-discrimination
- #race-discrimination
- #deposit-order
- #little-reasonable-prospect
- #field-support-driver
Key facts
- The claimant was employed as a mobile field support driver from 7 June 2021 to 5 April 2022.
- She was the only female field staff member in a team of 15-29 employees.
- She made eight allegations of sex and race discrimination and harassment.
- The tribunal found each allegation had little reasonable prospect of success.
- The claimant was ordered to pay a deposit of £20 per allegation to continue.
Timeline
-
Employment started
Claimant began work as a mobile field support driver.
-
Event 1 (sex discrimination)
Male driver took over claimant's collection; alleged less favourable treatment.
-
Event 1 (race discrimination)
Asian male engineer entered claimant's van to pray; alleged less favourable treatment.
-
Event 2 (race discrimination)
Asian male engineer again entered claimant's van to pray.
-
Sick leave started
Claimant went on sick leave.
-
Dismissal
Claimant was dismissed for poor behaviour and impact on colleagues.
-
ACAS early conciliation started
Early conciliation began.
-
ACAS early conciliation concluded
Early conciliation ended.
-
Claim form received
Tribunal received the claim form.
-
Deposit order hearing
Tribunal heard the respondent's deposit application and made orders.
The legal issue
The tribunal had to decide whether the claimant's eight allegations of sex and race discrimination and harassment had little reasonable prospect of success, and whether to make a deposit order under Rule 39 of the Employment Tribunal Rules.
The outcome
The tribunal granted the respondent's application for a deposit order, requiring the claimant to pay £20 for each of the eight allegations as a condition of proceeding. The total deposit was £300 if she wished to continue with all claims.
The key reasons were:
- Each allegation had little reasonable prospect of success based on the evidence presented.
- The allegations included events such as a male driver taking over a collection, extension of probation, bonus payment, cleaning duties, lack of promotion, and two incidents of an engineer praying in her van.
- The tribunal considered the claimant's ability to pay when setting the deposit amount at £20 per allegation.
Lessons & takeaways
- If you bring multiple discrimination claims, the tribunal may order a deposit if it thinks they have little chance of success, which can be a financial hurdle.
- Being the only female in a team does not automatically make every incident discrimination — you need evidence of less favourable treatment because of your protected characteristic.
- Deposit orders are used to weed out weak claims early, so it's important to assess the strength of your case before filing.
- If you are ordered to pay a deposit and cannot afford it, you can ask the tribunal to reconsider the amount based on your financial circumstances.
What this case shows in practice
This case illustrates how tribunals can use deposit orders to manage claims that appear weak from the outset. The claimant, a mobile field support driver with only 10 months' service, brought eight separate allegations of sex and race discrimination and harassment against her employer, Vorboss Limited. She was the only female field staff member in a team of 15-29 employees, but the tribunal found that each allegation had little reasonable prospect of success.
The allegations ranged from a male driver taking over her collection, to having her probation extended, being asked to clean a toilet, not being promoted, and two incidents where an Asian male engineer entered her van to pray. The tribunal considered each one and concluded that the claimant had not provided enough evidence to show they were acts of discrimination.
What the losing side could have done differently
The claimant could have focused on the strongest allegations and gathered more evidence before bringing a claim. For example, the incidents involving the engineer praying in her van might have been better explained in terms of why they amounted to race discrimination. The tribunal noted that the respondent had a legitimate reason for dismissing her — poor behaviour and impact on colleagues — which undermined the discrimination claims.
Why the result matters for similar claims
This case is a reminder that tribunals will scrutinise multiple allegations carefully, especially when they cover a short employment period. Deposit orders are a tool to prevent weak claims from proceeding, and claimants should be prepared to show that each allegation has a real prospect of success. If you are considering a discrimination claim, it is wise to seek advice early and focus on the strongest evidence.
Similar cases
Short-service employee's unfair dismissal claim struck out; discrimination claims survive with deposit order
A former employee of Shaw Trust had his unfair dismissal and redundancy claims struck out because he had less than two years' service. His race and sex discrimination claims were partially struck out and partially subject to a £5 deposit order.
Redundancy dismissal upheld despite protected disclosure: tribunal rejects discrimination and whistleblowing claims
An associate director lost her unfair dismissal, race and sex discrimination, and whistleblowing claims after being made redundant. The tribunal found the redundancy was genuine and the claims were mostly out of time.
Senior HR manager's constructive dismissal claim dismissed: resignation was for better job
A senior HR manager who resigned after accepting a higher-paid job failed to prove constructive unfair dismissal or discrimination. The Birmingham tribunal found no breach of contract by National Highways Ltd.
Black psychiatric nurse passed over for dual diagnosis lead role: race and sex discrimination upheld
A Black African community psychiatric nurse with 15 years' service was found to have been discriminated against when two white female colleagues were appointed to a specialist lead role he was qualified for. The tribunal upheld his claims of direct race and sex discrimination and harassment.