Nigerian employee Tolulope Fayokun, who was fired from Johnson & Johnson, a US pharmaceutical corporation, for working on "African time," has successfully sued the business for racial discrimination. According to the Reading Tribunal's decision, Fayokun was wrongfully "racially profiled" and will get compensation. The hearing was informed that Fayokun, a dual-nationality British Nigerian, began her career at the firm in 2017 and was originally commended by her supervisors for her outstanding leadership abilities. Alessandra Toro, director of strategic insights and analytics at Johnson & Johnson, told Fayokun at her appearance before an employment tribunal that she had "Nigerian traits."
It was said that Toro and Fayokun had a cordial friendship at first, exchanging presents and talking about private issues. According to reports, Toro claimed to Fayokun that she worked on "African time," implying that she missed deadlines for some tasks at certain times. She claimed that after researching Nigerian workplaces, her boss informed her that they were "fluid," which is slang for "any-howness" or "disorganization."
In 2020, Fayokun was fired by the corporation based on this assumption. She started as a senior manager at the firm in 2017. She claimed that soon after she contacted Toro about some of the concerns, she received the sack. Her next move was to sue the business. "The fact that the Nigerian working profile was fluid was in contrast to my personal fixed preferences, meaning that whereas I see deadlines as fixed and set in stone, this indicated to me that I should not adopt or assume the same approach with someone who identified with a Nigerian work style," Toro was quoted as saying before the tribunal in support of her case.
Judge Andrew Gumbiti-Zimuto concluded after hearing the case that Fayokun had been "unfairly racially profiled." Gumbiti-Zimuto decided that Fayokun may legitimately believe that she was treated unfairly at work after learning that the exercise had taken place and was being actively utilized to control her. Another hearing will determine Fayokun's compensation.
