Employment Appeal Tribunal Remits Disability Discrimination Claim Against Coventry City Council
The Employment Appeal Tribunal has ordered a fresh hearing for a disability discrimination claim following procedural errors in an earlier tribunal decision.
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Tribunal Errors Lead to Rehearing
The Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) has ruled that a disability discrimination case involving Coventry City Council must be reheard. Her Honour Judge Joffe found that the initial employment tribunal made errors in its assessment of whether the claimant suffered from stress during a job interview, necessitating a new panel to consider the section 15 claim afresh.
Background of the Claim
The claimant, Mr R Bryce, who has Asperger’s Syndrome and dyslexia, applied for a team manager position with the respondent. During the recruitment process, he requested various adjustments to accommodate his disabilities. While some adjustments were implemented, the claimant argued that further measures were required, including the use of closed questions, and alleged that he was treated unfavourably due to his disability-related stress.
Findings on Appeal
The EAT upheld the tribunal's findings regarding the duty to make reasonable adjustments. The judge concluded that the respondent had taken appropriate steps and that the claimant's request for strictly yes or no questions was not a reasonable adjustment in the context of the role. However, the appeal succeeded regarding the claim of discrimination arising from disability.
Judge Joffe noted that the original tribunal erred by relying on an interviewer’s assessment of the claimant’s stress levels based on typical, neurotypical behaviour. The tribunal failed to adequately consider how an individual with the claimant’s specific disabilities might manifest stress. Consequently, the EAT determined that it was not in the interests of justice for the original panel to reconsider the matter. The case has now been remitted to a new tribunal to evaluate the section 15 claim without the flaws identified in the original judgment.
Read the entire judgment here: Bryce v Coventry City Council [2026] EAT 153
