An NHS worker in the UK has been awarded nearly $40,000 after colleagues compared her to Darth Vader as part of an office personality quiz. Lorna Rooke, who worked in the blood and transplant service for 18 years, said the incident—dubbed “the Darth Vader incident” in tribunal documents—was done without her consent and contributed to her eventual resignation.
The issue arose when coworkers filled out a Star Wars-themed Myers-Briggs-style personality test in her absence, then publicly shared that Rooke’s personality matched that of the infamous Sith Lord. Though some colleagues claimed the results described her as a “focused team builder,” Rooke told the court the comparison made her feel unpopular and worsened existing workplace stress.
Judge Kathryn Ramsden sided with Rooke’s emotional response, writing that being compared to “a legendary villain” in a group setting was understandably upsetting. However, claims of direct discrimination and unfair dismissal were dismissed, with the court ruling those accusations were not well-founded.
Rooke was ultimately awarded $22,600 for financial losses after her resignation wasn’t rescinded, and an additional $16,000 for “injury to feelings.” The case now stands as a bizarre and cautionary tale about workplace culture, personality quizzes, and how even galaxy-sized jokes can have real-world consequences.
