A scientist has lost a discrimination case against her employer, after she was not invited to her work Christmas party. Shelby Caughman, a former scientist with Echoes Ecology in Scotland, suffers from agoraphobia, an anxiety disorder where you may fear being in places where leaving may be difficult. Pic: InstagramIn a tribunal against Ms Caughman’s directors, it emerged that her directors had chosen not to invite her in case it would cause her distress. They added that they restricted access to Ms Caughman’s work emails in August 2024, citing that looking at her work emails may cause distress; something Ms Caughman disputed. The directors told Ms Caughman that there was ‘no pressure’ for her to return, with her then questioning why she wasn’t invited to the Christmas party.