Employment law case ‘could result in more compensation claims’

Posted 30/03/2010

Employment law experts have said that many more people may be eligible to claim compensation from their employers following a case which highlighted discrimination by association.

Sharon Coleman, a former employee of Attridge Law, said she had been singled out for criticism for taking time off to care for her disabled son to such an extent that she felt she had to leave the company, Personnel Today attests.

She filed a claim for discrimination under the Disability Discrimination Act and although the European Court of Justice ruled in her favour, Attridge said it would appeal against the decision.

However, it has now dropped the appeal and Ms Coleman has been awarded an out-of-court compensation settlement.

John Read, an employment law specialist at XpertHR, said: “Associative disability discrimination will continue to be unlawful even prior to the enactment of the Equality Bill.”

The Disability Discrimination Act came into effect in 1995 and aims to protect the civil rights of disabled people in the UK.