An NHS worker has won nearly $40,000 in compensation after being compared to Darth Vader during a workplace personality test — a comparison that an employment tribunal ruled was “insulting” and caused real distress.
Lorna Rooke, who worked as a Training and Practice Supervisor at the NHS Blood and Transplant service, was awarded £28,989.61 (around $38,700) after a Star Wars-themed personality quiz left her feeling demeaned and unpopular at work.
The incident happened in August 2021, during a team-building exercise where employees took a psychological test that matched their personality traits with characters from the Star Wars universe. The test, which used a format similar to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, placed individuals into one of 16 categories based on traits like introversion, intuition, decision-making, and perception.
Rooke, however, didn’t take the quiz herself as she was attending a personal phone call at the time. A colleague, Amanda Harber, took the liberty of filling it out on her behalf. When Rooke returned, she was told she matched with none other than Darth Vader — the notorious villain known for his ominous breathing, brutal command style, and allegiance to the Dark Side.
Although the quiz described Darth Vader as a “very focused individual” who could help unite teams, the tribunal sided with Rooke, stating that the association with such a “legendary villain” was “insulting and upsetting.”
Employment Judge Kathryn Ramsden ruled that the situation amounted to a “detriment” — a legal term that indicates a harmful or negative experience at work — and acknowledged that Rooke had every reason to be affected by the incident.
Rooke testified that the comparison made her feel disliked and was one of the contributing factors to her resignation the following month. However, while the tribunal did not agree that the incident led directly to her leaving the job, it still ruled in her favor for experiencing detriment following a protected disclosure.
She did not win claims related to unfair dismissal, disability discrimination, or failure to make reasonable adjustments — but the Darth Vader comparison alone was enough to result in a significant payout.
