Ms Laura McGowan v British Broadcasting Corporation — 2026

The judgment concerned the sole preliminary issue of whether the claimant was disabled at the relevant time for her disability discrimination claim. The relevant period was treated as October 2023 to 26 February 2025. The claimant relied on low mental health and anxiety, having previously referred to work-related stress and a learning disability. She gave evidence about low mood, interrupted sleep, concentration difficulties, isolation in social situations, and coping strategies including support from friends and family and going to the gym.

The tribunal accepted that the claimant was genuinely describing how she felt, but found the evidence about the effect on normal day-to-day activities was very limited and lacked detail. The GP letter referred to presentations since 2016 relating to stress, anxiety and low mood, mainly in reaction to adverse life events, with propranolol prescribed as required between 2017 and 2020 and an online CBT course in 2016.

The tribunal found that the evidence did not support a long-term underlying condition or a long-term substantial adverse effect. It also found that the claimant's current coping strategies were self-intervention and did not assist her under paragraph 5 of Schedule 1. The tribunal concluded that the claimant was not disabled in terms of the legislation at the relevant time, and dismissed the disability discrimination claims.