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Alan Jones, 59, from St Helens, Merseyside, has been awarded £329,000 by an Employment Tribunal after winning a landmark disability discrimination case against his former employer
- A disabled worker who was sacked after his employer wrongly claimed he was working while on sick leave has been granted more than £329,000 in compensation.
- Alan Jones, 59, from St Helens, Merseyside was fired by Pilkington UK Limited for gross misconduct after the company alleged he had been carrying out work for another employer while off sick.
- Mr Jones, who had been employed by the firm since 1983 after beginning as an apprentice, subsequently advanced to a team leader position at the company’s Lathom site.
- An Employment Tribunal heard that Mr Jones suffered from radiation-induced neuropathy following cancer treatment in the 1980s.
- This chronic ailment caused substantial muscle wastage in his dominant shoulder and, combined with depression, left him unable to work. It was universally recognised that he was disabled.
- The tribunal was told that Pilkington launched a surveillance operation after reports emerged that Mr Jones had been seen wearing work boots and taking part in physical activity.
- Video footage showed him helping a friend with a farming job, momentarily lifting a small bag of potatoes and managing a hosepipe.
- The company viewed the footage as evidence that Mr Jones was employed elsewhere and carrying out duties incompatible with his sick leave.
- However, the tribunal ruled that Pilkington failed to obtain fresh medical evidence before choosing to dismiss him.
READ THE FULL STORY HERE: Disabled man wins £329k payout after being accused of working while off sick
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