Occupational safety district rules against Alma Media in Johanna Korhonen case

Johanna Korhonen

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The Uusimaa Occupational Safety District feels that the publishing company Alma Media committed an act of discrimination in October when it cancelled the contract of Johanna Korhonen, who was to have taken over the post of editor in chief of the Rovaniemi-based newspaper Lapin Kansa.
      On Monday, Helsingin Sanomat got possession of an inspection report drawn up by the authority, which looked into the case following a complaint by Korhonen of unfair dismissal.
      According to Korhonen, Alma Media cancelled the contract on the basis of her sexual orientation and family ties.
      The authorities agreed with Korhonen that Alma Media did not have legitimate grounds to cancel the contract.
     
Alma Media denies that Korhonen’s sexual orientation as such would have been the reason for the move. The company says that Korhonen had been dishonest in her job interview when she did not correct the interviewer’s incorrect assumption about the gender of her partner.
      In addition, Korhonen failed to disclose that the partner was a candidate in the municipal elections in that same year.
      Alma Media also said that Korhonen had talked about her upcoming post in public, ocntrary to what had been agreed.
     
The occupational safety authorities found that the employer’s finding of a lack of trust was linked with illegal reasons for discrimination and sensitive information.
      An occupational safety inspector points out that the employer tried to ascertain the political activities of Korhonen’s partner even though the issue was not relevant from the point of view of the work involved.
      The employer was also found not to have a good reason to expect that Korhonen would have corrected the interviewers misapprehension of the gender of the applicant’s partner.
      The management of the district will decide soon if it will ask police to investigate the matter.
     
Meanwhile, a separate trial is beginning in Helsinki District Court this week, in which Korhonen is suing Lapin Kansa for EUR 230,000 in damages for illegal termination.
      A preliminary hearing is taking place on Friday and the main trial is scheduled for May.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Lapin Kansa journalists demand resignation of Alma Media CEO and papeŕs editor (3.10.2008)
  New editor-in-chief dropped from newspaper, allegedly over lesbian relationship (2.10.2008)
  Editor Johanna Korhonen demands damages from Lapin Kansa (31.10.2008)
  Sacked editor plans to demand significant damages from Alma Media (7.10.2008)
  Outgoing Lapin Kansa editor to take leave until retirement, Alma Media CEO refuses to go (6.10.2008)

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