In this case, it was held that an employer discriminated against their employee on the grounds of disability. The employee was awarded €20,000.
The employee was transferred to another position in the company but ultimately removed for health and safety reasons. The employer stated it would cost €10,000 to adapt the equipment to allow the employee to continue work there and this was cost prohibitive or too expensive.
The Workplace Relations Commission disagreed. It stated the employer did not go far enough to accommodate the employee. The cost of 10,000 euro would not place a disproportionate burden on the employer given its wider financial resources.
This case serves as a stark warning to employers. In accommodating those with disabilities at work an employee could face additional costs to reasonably accommodate them.
It should also be remembered that disability at work can be non physical also such as stress, depression, alcoholism to name a few conditions.
A copy of the full decision can be found here
