Frettens Banner Image

News & events

Perceived Disability Discrimination

If a non-disabled job applicant is rejected because of a perception or anticipation that a condition could become a disability in future, is this direct disability discrimination?

Disability discrimination by perception

In an Employment Appeal Tribunal case, Chief Constable of Norfolk v Coffey, it was upheld that disability discrimination by perception is still direct discrimination.

The Claimant was a serving police officer in Wiltshire Police who applied for a transfer to the Norfolk force. She had a degree of hearing loss, which would usually have disqualified her from recruitment when she joined the Wiltshire force, but she was accepted after a function test.

Norfolk Police rejected her transfer request because her hearing was just below the acceptable standard, without a function test, based on concerns that she might end up on restricted duties should her hearing deteriorate.

The tribunal found that this decision was direct discrimination based on a perception that the Claimant would be disabled in the future. The hypothetical comparator would be a candidate whose condition was not perceived as likely to deteriorate so as to require restricted duties.

Equality law

Chris Dobbs, Solicitor in our Employment Team, explains “The Employment Appeal Tribunal noted that there would be a gap in the protection offered by equality law if an employer, wrongly perceiving that an employee's impairment might progress to the point where it affected their work substantially, could dismiss them in advance to avoid any duty to make allowances or adjustments.”

At Frettens, all of our solicitors offer a free initial meeting or chat on the phone to answer your questions. If this article raises issues for you or your business, please call us on 01202 499255 and the Employment Team will be happy to discuss it with you.

 

 

The content of this article, blog or video is not intended as specific legal advice. For tailored assistance, please contact a member of our team.

home