Man Settles Discrimination Case Against Home Bargains

A man living with Cerebral Palsy has received a settlement of £25,000 after being told to not "play the disability card" by his employer.

The case was settled with no admission of liability and was supported by the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland.

Ryan Jackson worked as a sales assistant for Home Bargains in their Armagh store. Ryan enjoyed his job and worked happily in the role from July 2017. His duties were warehouse and stock filling and he also worked in other departments.

Ryan's Cerebral Palsy means he needs to be in an active role where he can keep moving as this helps him to manage his disability. He said that he informed Home Bargains of his disability and his needs during his job interview.

From 2020 Ryan claimed to have been asked to cover tills and work more hours despite making it clear his disability prevented him from being able to work on the tills for long periods.

Despite raising a complaint with his employer, which resulted in an agreement for him to go back to his original duties, Ryan was subsequently asked to return to the tills.

Ryan said: "This has been an awful experience. I went from enjoying a job for three years to dreading going into work. I was honest with my employer about my disability from the start. I was eager to work. I wanted to do a good job, but it was as if some supervisors and managers simply did not care about my disability. In the end, I felt I had no option but to resign as I felt it was damaging my health."

Mary Kitson, Senior Legal Officer, Equality Commission for Northern Ireland, said: "There is simply no place for disability discrimination in workplaces in Northern Ireland. Ryan was keen to work and valued his employment. He proactively advised his employer about his disability from the outset and reasonable adjustments were agreed.

"The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 imposes a duty on employers to make reasonable adjustments to remove barriers to the recruitment and employment of people with disabilities.

"Employers must operate within our equality laws. They must ensure that they treat all employees who are disabled with dignity and respect in the workplace. No employee with a disability should feel that their needs are not understood or valued by their employer."