A blind man has been awarded £18,500 in compensation after an employment tribunal ruled he was unfairly dismissed during his probationary period at a bakery in Wrexham. The tribunal found that the bakery, The Village Bakery, failed to make reasonable adjustments to accommodate Ian Stanley’s disability.
Mr Stanley, who has been registered blind since 2010, joined The Village Bakery on 17th July 2023. Prior to this role, he had worked for 18 years as a waste coordinator and packer at another food manufacturing company. However, he was dismissed just six weeks into his three-month probationary period.
Health and safety concerns dismissed by tribunal
The Village Bakery, which employs 170 people at its Coedpoeth site, claimed Mr Stanley was let go due to health and safety concerns. Management cited incidents such as Mr Stanley crashing racks of bread into machinery, dropping loaves, and inefficiently cleaning trays. However, the tribunal rejected these claims, noting that the bakery had not conducted a health and safety risk assessment during Mr Stanley’s six weeks of employment.
In his ruling, Judge R Brace stated:
“The Claimant needed more time to learn the layout of the factory – that as this wasn’t something he could see in the same way as others, he was unable to see what work his colleagues were doing to jog his memory and copy, so would need repetition to learn.”
Lack of reasonable adjustments
The tribunal found that The Village Bakery had failed to make reasonable adjustments to support Mr Stanley’s integration into the workplace. Recommendations included providing a support worker, extending his probationary period, informing colleagues of his disability, and supplying a high-visibility jacket or vest.
Judge Brace concluded:
“In this case, we concluded that the respondent had dismissed the claimant, a disabled employee, without making a reasonable adjustment of giving the claimant more time in conjunction with a support buddy and raising employee awareness of the claimant’s disability and needs. These adjustments would have, in our view, enabled the claimant to remain in employment and therefore the dismissal was not justified. We did not consider that dismissal was proportionate and therefore the claim that the dismissal was discriminatory arising from disability is also well founded and succeeds.”
Compensation awarded
On Tuesday, 14th January, the tribunal ordered The Village Bakery to pay Mr Stanley a total of £18,567.57. This sum includes compensation for loss of earnings and injury to feelings.
This ruling highlights the legal obligation of employers to support disabled employees and make necessary adjustments to ensure fair treatment in the workplace.