An apprentice hairdresser in Ireland has been awarded €7,000 – around £6,300 – after being discriminated against due to her anxiety.
The Independent.ie reports that the unnamed woman had been working for the salon for around seven months before she was diagnosed with anxiety in April 2017.
She told the salon owner of her condition and that she had been advised to take time off work. However, it is reported that the owner responded by saying that they “didn’t do” sick days.
Having returned to work for a period of two weeks, she was told she was a liability and was fired.
The Workplace Relations Commission in Ireland ruled on the case. Despite the salon’s arguments that the woman’s dismissal was due to longstanding performance issues and not her mental health, the Commission found in favour of the complainant, that the dismissal constituted discrimination on the grounds of disability.
Under UK law, mental health conditions can also be treated as a disability and, as such, are a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010. As with any protected characteristic, employers are expected to make reasonable adjustments to accommodate the employee’s disability.
