Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Recruitment & retention
    • Wellbeing
    • Occupational Health
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Recruitment & retention
    • Wellbeing
    • Occupational Health
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise

Employment lawEquality, diversity and inclusionDisabilityLatest NewsEmployment tribunals

Disabled man rejected by MI5 takes discrimination claim to appeal

by Louisa Peacock 10 Mar 2009
by Louisa Peacock 10 Mar 2009

A partly-paralysed man is suing MI5 after his application for a job tracking suspects was rejected.

Sajad Suleman could not move his arms or legs when he applied for the job of mobile surveillance officer at the UK’s intelligence service.

But he argued that the organisation should have at least interviewed him to discuss how to adapt the job of “observing people by foot or vehicle” to his requirements.

He could have carried the job out by following suspects by train, taxis or buses, he said.

The case has already been thrown out by a London Employment Tribunal, but he is appealing.

Suleman said: “I knew the mobile surveillance officer job was active. They sent you out, sometimes to different countries, to spy on someone.

“You are out on the front line, but it was right up my street.

“They have a duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabilities. They should have invited me for an interview, there is no doubt about that, and I should have got the job.”

The former bus driver and union representative added: “I should have been the preferred candidate because they said they encouraged applications from people from ethnic minorities and with disabilities.”

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

His application to MI5 was dismissed in 2007 because the job required someone who drove more than 8,000km (5,000 miles) a year – half that driven by Suleman.

MI5 and recruitment agency TMP insisted Suleman did not meet the requirements of the job and said rejecting his application had nothing to do with his disabilties.

Louisa Peacock

previous post
7,000 people die each year from avoidable work-related cancers
next post
Management consultancy is highest earner for graduates

You may also like

Trainee GP who displayed Palestine flag sues for...

17 Sep 2025

Graduates face ‘white-collar’ recession in jobs market

17 Sep 2025

Ben & Jerry’s co-founder quits over Unilever’s social...

17 Sep 2025

Inflation unchanged at 3.8% in August

17 Sep 2025

Tech firms to plough £30bn into ‘AI Growth...

17 Sep 2025

Retirement at risk – why we all need...

17 Sep 2025

Sky to cut 600 jobs as it ‘reshapes’...

17 Sep 2025

MPs reject Lords’ amendments to Employment Rights Bill

16 Sep 2025

Failure to prevent fraud: Only 29% training staff...

16 Sep 2025

The rise in ‘workplace fawning’ and how it’s...

16 Sep 2025

  • Workplace health benefits need to be simplified SPONSORED | Long-term sickness...Read more
  • Work smart – stay well: Avoid unnecessary pain with centred ergonomics SPONSORED | If you often notice...Read more
  • Elevate your L&D strategy at the World of Learning 2025 SPONSORED | This October...Read more
  • How to employ a global workforce from the UK (webinar) WEBINAR | With an unpredictable...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits Live
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Recruitment & retention
    • Wellbeing
    • Occupational Health
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise