Disability employment discrimination
bottleofbest
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I was headhunted by Skanska last week, they found my CV online via Reed.co.uk; they were constantly messaging me about salary expectations, holiday allowance and what the role entailed over email.
After four phonecalls, she asked me to come for an interview as and I was told I would be called back within the day with a time and date. She then rang me back again and asked me about my employment gap. I explained I have a disability and it has taken me awhile to get better and feel ready to go back to work after now taking medication. The recruiter advised this was fine and that she would explain my disability to the person who would conduct the interview.
I didn't get a call back that day with a date and waited all weekend for them to ring.
I eventually got an email today saying that I no longer fit the criteria for the role? The only thing I can think of is that they don't want to hire me because of my disability. Is this legal? After they pursued me for a nearly a week trying to get me to come in?
What are my rights? I no longer want to work for this company as they are discriminatory, but it's a world wide company and I am worried that other companies will not want to hire me either!
After four phonecalls, she asked me to come for an interview as and I was told I would be called back within the day with a time and date. She then rang me back again and asked me about my employment gap. I explained I have a disability and it has taken me awhile to get better and feel ready to go back to work after now taking medication. The recruiter advised this was fine and that she would explain my disability to the person who would conduct the interview.
I didn't get a call back that day with a date and waited all weekend for them to ring.
I eventually got an email today saying that I no longer fit the criteria for the role? The only thing I can think of is that they don't want to hire me because of my disability. Is this legal? After they pursued me for a nearly a week trying to get me to come in?
What are my rights? I no longer want to work for this company as they are discriminatory, but it's a world wide company and I am worried that other companies will not want to hire me either!
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Comments
In an ideal world, such disabilities that are difficult to understand and have required considerable time off from work with a previous employer will always be discriminated against, weather consciously or subconsciously.
My unofficial advice would be not to disclose it unless asked.
I went for a job where they needed a reference for every gap, Even a 10 day gap held up my starting date while i arranged a reference because they wanted it covered. So some do still chase it up
This was just call centre work, Admittedly there was a reason they were checking but don't assume they won't check
You have to ask yourself, if a candidate has "so many gaps" due to illness, especially one that can recur, why would they employ you?
And that is why so many disabled people and people with long term illness , find it alot harder to get employment.
You should also ask if the employer is acting illegally and discriminating on the grounds of disability.
To be fair though, it is you who has simply assumed that they don't want you because of your disability.
Poor advice. An employer needs to be informed if an employee is disabled so they can adjust the working enviroment and duties of the employee
It's not poor advice. It's absolutely the right advice. Do not declare it until it gets to a point where you'd be lying - then you have to. I speak as a disabled person who has absolutely been turned down by recruitment agencies and employers once they've found out.
Anyway, not all disabled people need adjustments - I didn't for ten years.
This, however, is a complete disgrace. It is people like you that make it so hard for people with GENUINE disabilities who WANT to work.
Didn't expect much sympathy on here though. Last time I tried to bring up discrimination and being off sick, I was called "defensive" and told to "get off my arse and get back to work". I actually have MS and until today, I'd been permanently employed since my diagnosis in 2001.
Sadly all you can do is move on and - perhaps - do things differently next time.
eh what have employment gaps got to do with zero hr contracts?
if you have a zero hr contract you are still working and can put it on your cv.
not working at all is where gaps come from
to the OP, you need to speak to Acas
they have disability discrimination laws to prevent this kind of thing
that being said you are better off not working for a company with such a shoddy and dishonest attitude, I would be thankful of the lucky escape
This makes zero sense, If you work a zero hour contract April to December and get no hours in November but get let go in December then you don't put a gap for November, You still list yourself as employed for November whether you worked or not
If an employer is seeking a person to do certain duties how on earth can they change them? Even changing working enviroments can be difficult in SOME siturations.
Which is precisely why the Disability Discrimination Act only requires employers to make reasonable adjustments.
Providing particular furniture or equipment or varying working hours etc is reasonable, insisting on them finding a way for someone to continue to work as a firefighter when they have impaired mobility almost certainly wouldn't be. However, that firefighter may well be able to continue in service by doing fire safety work or training other firefighters.
In an office or retail environment, a lot of adjustments are easy to make. It's harder when people work in manual trades.