Rights of carers in private sector extended
Domiciliary care insurance
1st December 2008
Employers in the private sector have been urged to check their policies regarding carers in the workplace following a landmark employment tribunal ruling.
Sharon Coleman sued her employers, Attridge Law, who she claimed forced her to quit her job after she asked for time off to care for her four-year-old disabled son.
An employment tribunal judge ruled that employees with caring responsibilities who work in the private sector have the same rights as their counterparts in the public sector, reports Personnel Today.
Ed Williams, an employment and discrimination legal expert, commented: "The decision will be a relief for those workers in the private sector who feel they are being discriminated against because of their association with a disabled person.
"Parents of young and disabled children, and carers of adults, already have a right to request flexible working, but this ruling now gives a carer's challenge against an employer's decision far more teeth."
