Blind charity facing discrimination case

From: "BlindNews Mailing List" <BlindNews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <BlindNews@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2007 15:46:39 -0400
Carlisle News & Star, Cumbria (UK)
Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Blind charity facing discrimination case

By Victoria Brenan

A VISUALLY impaired worker employed by a charity for the blind was made 
redundant after being off sick for more than a year.

Melanie Drew-Halkyard believes she was "sidelined" by Action for Blind People, 
where she worked as an administrator and then senior accounts coordinator, 
during a restructure at their offices in 2005.

Mrs Drew-Halkyard, who lost most of the sight in her right eye due to glaucoma, 
went off sick in December 2003 when she suffered serious neck, arm and back 
problems. She was diagnosed with Scheuermann's disease - a condition which 
affects the thoracic spine - and unable to return to work until May 2005, an 
employment tribunal heard yesterday.

While she was off sick, Mrs Drew-Halkyard, from Roadhead, near Brampton, heard 
about the restructure but was told by her manager Val Whitfield that there 
would be no compulsory redundancies and a new post had been identified for her.

It later emerged that another employee, from the Preston office, had been given 
that job.

"I had not realised that Paul Kellett had actually been given my replacement 
post, which had been earmarked for the Carlisle office," she said.

"Why and on what basis I do not know as I am unsure as to what his job entailed 
prior to this. However, I am convinced that I was sidelined at some point in 
2005."

Mrs Drew-Halkyard, who had worked for the charity since October 2000, told the 
tribunal that after returning to work on a part time basis, she did not get any 
training courses, work was being taken away from her, and her manager stopped 
holding monthly meetings with her.

She was told in June last year that her post was one of four at risk of 
redundancy and asked to choose a severance package, apply for other jobs in the 
new structure or any other suitable posts in the organisation.

On August 14 she then heard that she would be made redundant on September 18 if 
no suitable employment could be found.

"I applied for three posts and in view of my significant prior experience and 
success in these areas of work, I considered I was a strong candidate," Mrs 
Drew-Halkyard said.

"However, in reality, I must state that I couldn't help feeling that Action 
were simply going through the motions. I didn't think I would get any of them 
as nothing Action told me seemed to add up."

She was approached about a funded temporary admin post under the 'Workstep' 
programme whereby Action would be funded to support her by Jobcentre plus.

"I was surprised because Workstep positions are designed for people with severe 
disabilities who would otherwise be unable to work," she said.

"I found it hard to believe that I was interviewed for a Grade 7 post on 
September 29 but by October 2 I was seen as only suitable for a Workstep post."

Mrs Drew-Halkyard claims unfair dismissal and disability discrimination.

The tribunal continues.


http://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/viewarticle.aspx?id=558775
BlindNews Mailing List
Subscribe: BlindNews-Request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with "subscribe" as subject

Unsubscribe: BlindNews-Request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with "unsubscribe" as subject

Moderator: BlindNews-Moderators@xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Archive: http://GeoffAndWen.com/blind

RSS: http://GeoffAndWen.com/BlindNewsRSS.asp

More information about RSS feeds will be published shortly.
Blind charity facing discrimination case

Other related posts:
