British woman awarded $50,000 after being dubbed ‘Darth Vader’ in office quiz

A team-bonding activity meant to build camaraderie veered into the dark side and ended in a lawsuit after a supervisor was publicly compared with Star Wars villain Darth Vader during a workplace quiz.

Ms Lorna Rooke, a former training supervisor at NHS Blood and Transplant, a British organisation that manages blood donations, was awarded £28,989 (S$50,000) by an employment tribunal, which found that the incident amounted to workplace “detriment”.

Ms Rooke had joined the blood and transplantation service in 2003, taking on the role of a training and practice supervisor.

According to a May 7 report by British daily The Guardian, the episode took place in August 2021 during a team-bonding session featuring a Star Wars-themed personality test.

Ms Rooke had stepped away to take a personal phone call and, in her absence, a colleague completed the quiz on her behalf. Upon returning, she was told – in front of the entire team – that her result was Darth Vader.

While that might sound like a badge of cool in a science fiction fan club, the tribunal did not see it that way. Darth Vader, for the uninitiated, is the helmeted villain from the Star Wars movie franchise – a feared enforcer known for his cruelty and tendency to choke those who disagree with him with the power of “the force”.

The quiz description painted Vader as “a very focused individual who brings the team together”, but employment judge Kathryn Ramsden found the comparison “insulting”.

She noted that making the announcement in a group setting only amplified its impact, saying it was “little wonder” that Ms Rooke felt upset.

Ms Rooke testified that the incident contributed to feelings of being “unpopular” and exacerbated her stress and anxiety at work. She resigned the following month, bringing an end to about 18 years with the organisation.

While the tribunal hearing in London stopped short of linking the quiz directly to her resignation, it concluded that the episode was harmful enough to warrant compensation under British employment law.

The tribunal also remarked that the quiz – described as “a Myers-Briggs questionnaire with a Star Wars theme” – reflected the colleague’s own views of Ms Rooke, rather than any legitimate assessment.

The Myers-Briggs quiz, a popular personality test that categorises people into psychological types, was later clarified by the Myers-Briggs Company as not being an official assessment.

Ms Rooke’s additional claims of unfair dismissal and disability discrimination were dismissed.