Elrich Daudet loses compensation claim as UK tribunal rules psychic belief not protected

Elrich Daudet, a senior computer analyst at Computacenter (UK) Ltd, was dismissed in 2022 after telling a new female colleague that he had seen her in his prophetic dreams and sending her love poems. The employee claimed his dismissal amounted to discrimination because his belief in the predictive power of dreams was a protected belief under equality law.

The Employment Appeal Tribunal, presided over by Lord Fairley, rejected Daudet's appeal, stating that his belief did not qualify as a protected characteristic and that the messages sent could be regarded as harassment. Consequently, Daulet's claim for compensation was dismissed.

The case highlights the limits of protected belief claims in UK employment law and underscores employer responsibilities to address workplace harassment.