A MAN with Cerebral Palsy has reached a settlement with his previous employer Home Bargains over disability discrimination.
Ryan Walker, who worked in the warehouse of the company’s Armagh store in Northern Ireland since July 2017, said he was instructed ‘not to use his disability card’ when he sought to speak up about his requirements.
Walker was granted £25,000, and the matter was resolved without admitting fault, with the backing of the Northern Ireland Equality Commission.
Initially he had a manager who was sympathetic but was then shifted from stacking shelves to working on the tills despite telling the company that he needed to stay active due to his disability and could not sit in one place for too long.
Although he was pleased to assist on the tills, he could only do so for brief periods of time owing to his condition, which required him to keep moving.
Walker stated that when he sought to explain his requirements as a a worker with cerebral palsy person to his employer, he was advised not to “play the disability card”.
Walker 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.”
Walker wrote to Home Bargains to convey his anger with the situation, but felt he had little choice but to quit.
Home Bargains reached a settlement without admitting guilt. It has declined to comment on the matter.
Despite the arrangement, Ryan claimed he was told to work on the checkouts again.
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.”
In a statement Home Bargains said: “We consider this to be a private matter, and out of respect for the individual’s privacy, we will not be providing any comment or further information on this case.”
Subscribe for our weekly news letter here!
You can unsubscribe us at any time
