Alison McRobbie, a former Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) work coach, was awarded £17,280 in compensation after an employment tribunal found that a coworker’s joke about Stephen Hawking constituted harassment linked to her disability. The ruling, delivered in Southampton, also ordered McRobbie to reimburse the DWP £10,912 for costs incurred during the case.

Tribunal Finds Harassment Over Stephen Hawking Comparison

Employment Judge Catherine Rayner concluded that Josie Hooper’s comment – “I’m going to look like Stephen Hawking in this chair” – and the accompanying gestures drew unwanted attention to McRobbie’s disability.. While the judge noted that Hooper could not recall the exact words, the tribunal determined that, on the balance of probabilities, the remark was made and was unflattering. As the report states, the judge said the comment was “unwanted and related to her disaability,” satisfying the legal test for harassment.

£17,280 Award Offset by £10,912 Cost Order

McRobbie’s successful claim netted her £17,280 from the government, but the tribunal also ruled that she behaved unreasonably during the proceedings and must pay the DWP £10,912 in costs. this partial offset reduces her net gain to just over £6,300, highlighting the tribunal’s nuanced approach to both victim compensation and procedural conduct.

Disability Adjustments and the Chair Incident Timeline

According to the tribunal record, McRobbie requested a high‑back chair with a headrest in early 2022 after a 2017 car crash left her with arthritis and crepitus in her knee, hand, and neck. the chair arriived on 12 October 2022, and ten days later she invited Hooper to try it. hooper’s subsequent joke triggered the harassment claim, which later expanded to include discrimination, unfair dismissal, and a diagnosis of PTSD in April 2022.

Social Media Influence and Public Reaction

Since the case, McRobbie has built a TikTok following of 76,000, using her platform to discuss workplace rights and disability issues. The visibility of the tribunal’s decision has sparked broader debate about what constitutes acceptable humour in professional settings, especially when it targets protected characteristics. As the source notes, the judge acknowledged that “most people would not find this to be offensive,” yet affirmed that “it is reasonable for it to be treated as harassment in this case.”

Unresolved Questions About Workplace Culture at the DWP

The tribunal did not address whether the DWP had systemic policies to prevent disability‑related harassment, leaving open whether similar incidents might have occurred elsewhere in the department. Additionally, the exact nature of McRobbie’s dismissal for alleged gross misconduct remains unclear, as the tribunal focused primarily on the harassment claim.