The case raises questions for how workplaces manage the long-term consequences of coronavirus.
and offer support to staff affected by it to get back to work, as their estimated number edges closer to 500,000.in court, with allegations ranging from unfair dismissal to sexual discrimination and bullying.
But she alleged that the firm’s owners then said “stress” about this was a reason for her dismissal, despite workplace protections requiring that staff not be adversely treated because of a disability.This also broke laws against misleading and deceptive conduct, she claimed, alleging that Parnell’s had said they could accommodate her disability when she took the job and that was part of the reason she accepted.
In her dismissal letter that was filed with the court, the owners of Parnell’s told her that they needed someone in her role who could work full-time, as the firm’s “rapid” growth meant they were “desperately” in need of more clerk support.Ms Stary contracted COVID-19 in early January and was still off sick when she was dismissed in mid-March. Although she provided medical certificates, her doctor was unable to say when she would be able to return to work.