Recently an employee took her employer to tribunal after claiming that she was discriminated against, not for herself but on the basis of her son’s disability. Richard White, specialist employment solicitor at Withy King considers this case further.
Although disability discrimination in the work place is often highlighted in the news and is an issue with which many HR managers are familiar, less widely publicised is the issue of discrimination on the basis of a third party’s disability. Richard White provides legal advice and background to this issue.
The case: EBR Law LLP and Another v Coleman
Facts
Ms Coleman was employed by EBR Attridge LLP (formally Attridge Law) as a legal secretary. Although Ms Coleman was not disabled, she was the principle carer for her son who suffered from bronchomalacia and congential laryngomalacia.
Due to her son’s disability, Ms Coleman was often required to take additional time off work, and felt that certain employees within the firm were suggesting she used her son’s disability as a means to obtain additional holiday.
