Published on 12, July, 2020
I am totally devastated. I had a meeting planned today with my head teacher about how they could make reasonable adjustments for me at work. When I turned up it was the head and the deputy. I felt totally ganged up upon and it was as if they had planned before hand not to offer any help. They basically said that I am one of sixty staff all with their own needs and I am paid to be a teacher so I just need to get on with it.
The head kept grilling me with questions even when I had gone silent and started to cry.
I came out, drove home and had a complete meltdown. I eel awful and as if I am a great big inconvenience to the school.
It was just the worst.
I'm very sorry to read this. It very much sounds to me as if your employer is discriminating against you under the explicit terms of the Equality Act 2010. If you had a phyisical disability they would accommodate you. An educational establishment should really know better than this as they presumably have some similarly affected pupils. As has been said already, you should approach your union if you are in one. Otherwise seek some form of legal help. Go to Citizens Advice, or even contact ACAS. Here is the Equality Act https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/contents
That's a big scary document. What bit should I be looking at ?
Yes, sorry. neekby gives a summary above of the relevant parts. Enforcement can take the form of an employment tribunal, at which as I understand it your employer would need to prove why it would be unreasonable to make adjustments to accommodate you for your disability. I would try contacting Acas first or going to Citizens Advice if you aren't in a union. Acas is here http://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=1410
I typed in a question on their question search tool and it came up with the following answer
What options are available to a worker who believes they are being discriminated against at work?
thank you so much for this! I'm going through a lot of trouble at work at the moment. They are saying they've made a lot of adjustments for me and provided a lot of support, but they haven't at all. I've proven I can do the work, and have emails and letters in which they've praised my work in the past. I just need an environment that I am relaxed and comfortable in without people making loads of noise around me and away from strong smells and I'm fine. There are empty offices so I don't think it's unreasonable. As time goes on with me being forced to sit with constant sensory overload I can feel everything getting a lot worse for me, and in the past when this has happened I've ended up either in loads of trouble or walking away from everything and everyone and not being able to return.
I think you need to calm down and take advice, as I suggested before talking further with them. Especially from the union on what adjustments are considered reasonable for teachers, what precedents are there.
The angry talk of discrimination usually helps in getting compensation after dismissal, but not always in keeping the job.
To keep the job you need to develop a very clear position which demonstrates that you are fit to do the job (my point 3) with reasonable adjustments. Just blaming them [although justified] might only trigger nasty tactics to push you out.
If you need another member of staff to teach for you, you might be headed for difficulties.
How about ear defenders?
I've been doing it 16 years! I think I can do it. My managers are trying to move me to a different area which would disable me.