Police employee with cancer made redundant after refusal to adjust work location: unfair dismissal and disability discrimination

When redundancy meets disability: a case about reasonable adjustments

This case shows how a redundancy process can go wrong when an employer fails to properly consider the needs of a disabled employee. The claimant, an intelligence support officer with nine years' service, had been successfully working from her usual base after returning from cancer treatment. When her role was made redundant and she was offered a new role at a different location, the employer insisted she work there despite her disability-related difficulties with the commute.

What the employer could have done differently

The tribunal found that occupational health had recommended allowing the claimant to work from her existing base as a reasonable adjustment. Instead of implementing this, the employer offered a compromise of one or two days per week at the new location, then later insisted she be there most of the week. The employer also failed to properly consult with her about alternatives before dismissing her for redundancy. A more flexible approach, following the medical advice, could have avoided the claim.

Why this matters for similar claims

This decision reinforces that employers cannot simply rely on a redundancy situation to avoid their duty to make reasonable adjustments. Where a disabled employee cannot relocate due to their disability, the employer must consider whether adjustments – such as working from a different base – are reasonable. The fact that the claimant had a long service record and a clear medical recommendation made the employer's failure particularly significant. The case also highlights that decisions about bonuses can amount to discrimination if they are influenced by disability-related absence or performance issues.