"…extremely concerned about the delay from the personnel department in writing to me with options of alternative employment. It is now eleven months since my operation and six months since our meeting in August of last year. The traumatic experience of having brain surgery and now being left partially sighted would be eased dramatically if I had work to go to, but, as to this date Network Rail has not offered any sort of help and this has led to me feeling that my life has been put on hold. I need to know quickly what is my situation with your good selves. I am willing to retrain and I feel I still have a lot to offer. I am still the same person who carried out good work for Network rail albeit I cannot do my previous tasks. I look forward to an early reply."
"I have worked for Network Rail since October 2002. I became ill in October 2004 and underwent surgery for the removal of a brain tumour in March 2005. I have been left partially sighted and unable to return to my job as a trackman. My employer has done very little to help my return to work in some capacity. I have had to write to them in February 2006 with my grievances and only after this was I invited for an interview for an office vacancy, having no experience in an office environment. No offer of re-training was offered to me, thus putting me at a disadvantage against other applicants. I feel that after 15 months since notifying the company of my situation that they have discriminated against me. They have only contacted me after I have been in contact with them. Although they have not terminated my contract of employment, I feel they are hoping I will just leave. I feel I have reason for the industrial tribunal to judge this as a matter of disability discrimination."
"10. …judging objectively what the respondents had done between December 2005 and February 2006 it is the unanimous conclusion of the members of the tribunal that the respondents had discharged the duty placed on them by section 4A in that they had taken such steps as are reasonable, by attempting to locate vacancies. Until such time as any potential vacancy could be established the further potential obligations under section 18B cannot be engaged."
"(1) For the purposes of this Part, a person discriminates against a disabled person if— (a) for a reason which relates to the disabled person's disability, he treats him less favourably than he treats or would treat others to whom that reason does not or would not apply, and (b) he cannot show that the treatment in question is justified. (2) For the purposes of this Part, a person also discriminates against a disabled person if he fails to comply with a duty to make reasonable adjustments imposed on him in relation to the disabled person."
"(1) Where— (a) a provision, criterion or practice applied by or on behalf of an employer, or (b) any physical feature of premises occupied by the employer, places the disabled person concerned at a substantial disadvantage in comparison with persons who are not disabled, it is the duty of the employer to take such steps as it is reasonable, in all the circumstances of the case, for him to have to take in order to prevent the provision, criterion or practice, or feature, having that effect."
'the grievance must relate to the subsequent claim, and the claim must relate to the earlier grievance.' 22. It is not even necessary that the employee should indicate that he wants or expects the complaint to be dealt with; he does not need to be actively invoking the grievance procedure, statutory or contractual. The paragraph is satisfied simply if the complaint is made. Once that occurs, the onus falls on the employer to arrange a meeting to deal with a grievance although the employee will then have to notify the employer of the basis of that grievance. 23. How then does one determine whether the relevant complaint has been made? In Shergold , Mr Burton J said this at paragraph 28 down to 'so far as Unfair Dismissal'
"The duty to make adjustments was triggered where an employee became so disabled that in that case she can no longer meet the requirements of her job description."