Juliette Giscombe had worked at the central London hotel for 10 years Comedian Richard Blackwood’s mother has accused a top London hotel of recruiting black members of staff for back-room roles only.
Juliette Giscombe was giving evidence at an employment tribunal in which she is claiming racial discrimination by the Hilton chain.
She is also claiming constructive dismissal from her job of 10 years as a telephonist at the Park Lane branch.
The 57-year-old said the conditions resulted in her being signed off sick.
Mrs Giscombe, from Streatham, told the hearing in London she was ignored for promotion and that black members of staff were deliberately not put in positions where they would be visible to the public.
She said: “My observation of my time there was that the respondents did not recruit black staff to the front-of-house positions where they would be visible to the public.
“During the period of time I was complaining, there were no senior black members of staff in front-of-house positions.”
She acknowledged this had since changed, but said she had been signed off work for months with depression and ill health as a result of the working conditions.
Mrs Giscombe also claimed another member of staff had “used abusive language” towards her.
The tribunal continues.
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