Discrimination by Association
A recent ruling by the European Court of Justice paves the way for extending carers’ rights in the UK.
The case of Coleman v Attridge Law concerns a legal
secretary, Ms Coleman who has a disabled son with
a condition requiring specialised care. She was his
primary carer.With just over four years’ service, she
accepted voluntary redundancy, which terminated
her employment. She then made an employment
tribunal claim for constructive dismissal and
disability discrimination. She claimed that she had
been treated less favourably than other employees
who were parents of non-disabled children and that
the treatment had caused her to stop working for
her employer. The circumstances pleaded are
extreme and include allegations that she was not
allowed the same flexibility regarding working
hours as those of her colleagues who are parents of
non-disabled children and that she was described as
‘lazy’ when she requested time off to care for her
child, whereas parents of non-disabled children
were allowed time off.
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