Employment
The Disability Discrimination Act provides disabled people with increased rights at work. It also puts certain legal obligations on employers.
Crucially the most important feature of the DDA is that it puts a legal duty on employers to make reasonable adjustments.
Reasonable adjustments can take many different forms. In short, an employer must make changes to their arrangements or premises to prevent disabled workers and job applicants from being put at a disadvantage.
Depending on the circumstances, examples of change might be:
- providing equipment;
- altering working hours;
- modifying duties;
- redeployment or retraining;
- providing information in an alternative format, such as Braille or larger type;
- allowing time off for medical treatment;
- alterations to premises (e.g. ramps, disabled toilets, reserved parking spaces);
- providing a support worker.
Under the DDA it is also unlawful for an employer to treat a disabled worker less favourably than others for a reason connected with the worker’s disability, unless this treatment can be justified.
It is also unlawful for an employer to victimise a worker for trying to enforce DDA rights.
Types of Cases
DLS provides advice on all types of disability-related employment law problems. Some of these problems may be covered by the DDA, some relate to other laws.
We can advise on a wide range of issues such as:
- dismissal;
- reasonable adjustments;
- redundancy;
- redeployment;
- queries over hours, rosters and shift patterns;
- disability discrimination in recruitment;
- confidentiality;
- harassment / bullying / abuse;
- rights during sick leave;
- ill health retirement;
- victimisation;
- contractual problems;
- grievance, disciplinary and appeal procedures;
- disability discrimination by trade unions;
- employment Tribunal procedure ;
- employment Appeal Tribunal Procedure.
If you have a problem that is related to your disability at work and would like to speak to an adviser, please contact our adviceline.