Dr David Mackereth claims he was sacked after saying he would not “call any 6ft tall bearded man madam” during an “abstract discussion” with his manager.
The 56-year-old, from Dudley, West Midlands, alleges the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) discriminated against his religious beliefs, costing him his job as a disability claim assessor.
As well as claiming religious discrimination, Dr Mackereth maintains that no effort was made to accommodate his beliefs, such as referring transgender clients at Birmingham’s Five Ways assessment centre to another doctor.
On the third day of the Birmingham tribunal, centre manager James Owen said he had a meeting with Dr Mackereth on June 13 last year and then “respected his wishes not to work”.
In a written statement describing the meeting, Mr Owen said: “I then asked the claimant if he would respect the customer’s wish to be referred to by their chosen sexuality and name and would he convey that in his written report.
“The claimant categorically stated that he would not do that due to his beliefs and he could not put that in a report as his conscience would not allow that.
“The claimant also stated that he understood that his behaviour could be offensive.”
Mr Owen added: “I read the answers back to the claimant and asked him to confirm if I had captured the information correctly. The claimant agreed.
“The claimant clearly…
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