Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Join
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Join
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today

Latest NewsEmployment lawHealth and safetyEquality, diversity and inclusionOccupational Health

Nut allergy and ezcema both found to be disabilities

by Personnel Today 7 Aug 2013
by Personnel Today 7 Aug 2013

Occupational health has come under the spotlight in two employment tribunals, with a chef’s serious nut allergy and a worker’s severe eczema both being classed as a disability under the Equality Act 2010, therefore allowing their discrimination cases to proceed.

In the case of Wheeldon v Marstons plc ET/1313364/2012, the chef suffered a severe allergic re-action when he came into contact with nuts while at work in 2011.

He did not return to work and brought a number of disability claims, arguing his employer failed to offer alternative work.

In the second case, Glass v Promotion Line Ltd ET/3203338/2012, the worker, who suffers from severe eczema, brought a disability discrimination claim after she was dismissed by her employer.

Under the Equality Act, to be disabled, an individual has to have an impairment that has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.

In Glass, the tribunal heard that it took the worker more than an hour to get ready in the morning because she had to apply cream and wait for it to be absorbed, meaning that it took her considerably longer to get ready for work than someone who did not need to do so.

This, the tribunal argued, amounted to a substantial adverse effect on her ability to carry out day-to-day activities. It therefore classes her as having a disability.

Avatar
Personnel Today

previous post
Survey finds absence rates are no longer declining
next post
Supporting working parents in the school holidays

You may also like

Biggest national rail strike threatens summer

25 May 2022

Six in 10 women of colour ‘hide identity’...

25 May 2022

Maternity leave: Cost of living crisis highlights need...

25 May 2022

Top 10 metrics HR leaders are using today...

25 May 2022

Civil servants move closer to national strike action

25 May 2022

Employees resigning in 2022: Survey shows ‘great resignation’...

24 May 2022

Tube strike on 6 June to see 4,000...

24 May 2022

Navigating the widening “Skills Confidence Gap” in 2022,...

24 May 2022

The Search for Talent: Six Major Employer Pitfalls

24 May 2022

Record prostate cancer screenings post-pandemic

24 May 2022

  • The importance of being an ethical leader and how to become one PROMOTED | What is ethical leadership?...Read more
  • RPO Report: 2022, The Year to Outsource PROMOTED | Employers should be overwhelmed with choice...Read more
  • Report: Enabling organisational agility through talent & people success PROMOTED | Work has been challenged...Read more
  • Employee Trends 2022 report PROMOTED | Edenred research on employees analysed the key employees’ trends for 2022...Read more
  • How finance apprenticeships can boost business PROMOTED | As the world’s most forward-thinking professional accountancy body...Read more
  • Paul Devoy: Showing appreciation to the Investors in People community PROMOTED | Ask most people what comes to mind when you mention Investors in People...Read more
  • White paper: How digitalisation can support evolving occupational health PROMOTED | Download this free white paper to discover how digitalisation can help occupational health meet emerging challenges...Read more

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
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2022

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2022 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Join
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today