A tribunal has ruled that calling someone a ‘slapper’ in the workplace is a sackable offence.

The word, typically used as an insult to describe a sexually promiscuous woman, is rude enough to warrant being fired, according to an employment judge.

It comes after a Tesco worker accused her colleague of being a 'slapper' and 'sleeping her way to the top'.

Long-serving Tesco employee Lynda Pearson made the comments about her line manager, Isabel Mumby, and was sacked.

Ms Pearson took the case to an employment tribunal - claiming unfair dismissal - but the judge ruled that the comment warranted her being fired.

The judge found that using the word is "clearly a repudiatory breach of contract, if nothing else it constitutes a breach of the implied term of trust and confidence".

Ms Pearson began working for Tesco in December 2005 and at the time of her sacking worked as a personal shopper at the Tesco Extra store in Lincoln.

She received a warning in 2021 for misconduct but that had expired by the time the events leading to her dismissal occurred.

Her line manager at the time was Ms Mumby, whose partner was also one of Tesco's management.

In April 2025, Ms Pearson told four of her colleagues, including Claire Dickson, that Ms Mumby was a 'slapper'.

Ms Pearson accepted that the word is intended to refer to a woman who sleeps around and 'is in and of itself, offensive'.

She accepted that the word is 'akin to slut or whore'.

It was also alleged that she had claimed that Ms Mumby had 'slept her way to the top' but Ms Pearson denied that she made these sort of comments.

Although unclear when, Ms Mumby became aware of the comments being made about her and a disciplinary investigation began in July 2025.

The Tesco misconduct hearing found that on balance, she had made both the 'slapper' and 'slept her way to the top' comments.

At the end of the hearing it was determined that the comments constituted gross misconduct and she was dismissed.

After an unsuccessful appeal, Ms Pearson took claims of unfair dismissal and wrongful dismissal to the Midlands East Tribunal in Nottingham but both claims were dismissed.

Employment Judge Martin Brewer said: "The only actual issue for [Tesco] to conclude on the investigation was whether [Ms Pearson] also said that Ms Mumby had slept her way up.

"[Ms Pearson] said that Ms Dickson was upset because a mutual friend she had with [Ms Mumby] had fallen out with her but not with [Ms Pearson] and this explains why she lied.

"The first time this was raised was at this hearing and it borders on the incredible.

"In my judgement [Tesco] was perfectly entitled to find that, on balance it is more likely than not that [Ms Pearson] said words to the effect that Ms Mumby had slept her way up.

"Given the detailed disciplinary investigation meetings with [Ms Pearson] it is apparent that at the date of the disciplinary hearing she was well aware of the evidence.

"Putting it in the round, she knew, and accepted that some colleagues with whom she was sitting on 28 April 2025, heard her call Isabel Mumby a slapper, something she readily admitted.

"She also knew some other colleagues told [Tesco] that effectively she said [Ms Mumby] had gained her managerial position using sex.

"[Tesco] is in a highly competitive market where reputation matters, and this goes a long way to explaining why it takes a zero-tolerance approach to what was gross discriminatory language.

"[Ms Pearson] readily conceded at this hearing that the word slapper is a sexual comment that it is similar to slut or whore, and she said she would not want it said about her.

"Given all of my findings above I am satisfied that [Ms Pearson] calling her line manager a slapper and spreading a rumour that she had slept her way to her position is clearly a repudiatory breach of contract, if nothing else it constitutes a breach of the implied term of trust and confidence."