Zurich court overturns dismissal of magazine editor
Former magazine editor Anuschka Roshani has won a partial victory in the Zurich Labor Court. The court overturned Roshani's termination. The editor had accused her supervisor of sexual harassment and bullying.
However, the court rejected Roshani's request for a declaration of legal violations and for compensation, as the Zurich District Court announced on Friday. The judgment is available to the Keystone-SDA news agency. The Magazine is a publication of the Zurich publishing house Tamedia.
By having her dismissal overturned, the German-born journalist has won what was probably her most important case. The court annulled the dismissal issued in September 2022 in application of the Swiss Gender Equality Act (GlG).
Among other things, the Equal Treatment Act provides protection against dismissal in the event of allegations of discrimination. This applies both for the duration of internal proceedings and for any court proceedings on the merits. This is intended to protect those affected from dismissals in retaliation.
Court sees no grounds for termination
Tamedia tried in vain to prove in court that it was not a case of revenge dismissal. According to the ruling, it was argued, among other things, that the plaintiff's accusations had led to "unrest in the team" and that the employees had found themselves in a conflict of loyalty.
The specific consequences of Roshani's dismissal are not clear from the ruling. In principle, however, the employment relationship is likely to continue. In a subordinate clause regarding the amount in dispute, the court notes that this now probably amounts to "various monthly salaries".
The longstanding Magazine-In an internal complaint, the editor had made serious allegations against her superior. He had systematically sexually harassed, discriminated against and bullied her for years.
Roshani made her case in an article in the Mirror publicly in February 2023. The editor-in-chief of the magazine at the time is said to have referred to her as a "priest's mistress" and "unfucked", among other things. The editor-in-chief was dismissed before Roshani after the allegations came to light.
The decision of the labor court is not yet legally binding. It can be appealed to the High Court of the Canton of Zurich. (SDA)
