When Lorna Rooke walked into her workplace, she probably wasn’t expecting to be cast as the villain of the Star Wars universe. But after a colleague filled out a workplace “personality quiz” in her absence and declared her a psychological match for none other than Darth Vader, things took a turn to the dark side — and not in a galaxy far, far away, but right here in the UK.
Describing the comparison as “unflattering and upsetting,” Rooke told the employment tribunal that the incident left her feeling ostracised by colleagues and contributed to her resignation. Although the tribunal rejected the idea that the Vader incident alone led to her quitting, they did agree it caused a serious “detriment” — a legal term meaning it harmed her working conditions — and awarded her £28,989.61 in compensation.
Judge: This is not the (work)place you’re looking for…
The case took place in London and highlighted how even jokes in the workplace — particularly those that undermine dignity or create a hostile environment — can land employers in hot water. While the galaxy might celebrate Vader’s laser focus and dark charisma, tribunals don’t take kindly to personality profiling without consent or professional sensitivity.
In this case, a light-hearted team-building moment turned into a lightsaber-worthy HR nightmare.
What does this mean for UWA members?
Even if your workplace thinks it’s just “banter,” it’s not okay if:
- You’re singled out in a way that undermines your dignity.
- You’re portrayed negatively, especially in front of others.
- The comments affect your confidence, status or decision to remain in the job.
Workplace culture matters. What might feel like a team joke to one person can genuinely harm another. Employment law protects against this kind of “detriment” under the Equality Act 2010 and related worker protections.
✨ Moral of the story: Keep the Sith out of the staff room.
And if your boss starts sounding a bit too much like Emperor Palpatine, you know where to find us. UWA is here for members facing unfair treatment, harassment, or just plain bizarre workplace politics.
Not sure if what happened to you is ‘just a joke’ or something more serious?
Book a free 1-to-1 with us. We’re not Jedi, but we’ve got the force of employment law behind us.