In person For the v Respondent — 2022

The tribunal found that the respondent failed to comply with the Equality Act 2010 duty to make reasonable adjustments for the claimant's disability in two respects. First, it failed to provide a keyboard and mouse for homeworking between 21 December 2020 and the end of January 2021. Second, it failed to exempt the claimant from the requirement to greet visitors to the centre and carry out temperature checks between 1 October 2020 and 7 November 2020. The second adjustment claim was brought outside the primary time limit, but the tribunal extended time because it considered it just and equitable to do so.

The tribunal also dealt with earlier discrimination allegations. It held that the respondent had directly discriminated against the claimant because of disability in 2018 by not showing as much support in her bereavement as it did for a non-disabled colleague, including through the purchase of flowers. However, that claim was out of time and the tribunal decided it was not just and equitable to extend time. It reached the same procedural conclusion on the harassment allegation based on a public suggestion on 24 October 2017 that the claimant should use annual leave to cover disability-related hospital appointments: the tribunal found the conduct amounted to harassment, but the claim was out of time and was not allowed to proceed.

The tribunal stated that the respondent did not otherwise contravene the Equality Act 2010 and dismissed the claimant's remaining direct discrimination, harassment and reasonable adjustment claims. It ordered the respondent to pay £9,046.79 within 14 days, made up of £8,000 for injury to feelings and £1,046.79 interest, the latter being agreed by the parties under the Employment Tribunals (Interest on Awards in Discrimination Cases) Regulations 1996.