Navigating disability rights in the workplace: Legal insights and practical guidance
Navigating disability rights in the workplace is essential for legal compliance, fostering inclusivity and boosting employee morale. Getting it wrong can lead to significant negative consequences for organisations, including legal penalties and reputational damage in addition to the impact of low moral on productivity and staff turnover.
This series aims to provide practical guidance to prevent, identify and address disability discrimination in the workplace.
Over the next four webinars, the SharpeMinds team will cover:
- Defining disability and employer’s knowledge of a disability
- Direct and indirect disability discrimination harassment
- Reasonable adjustments and discrimination arising from a disability
- Victimisation and horizon scanning of changes to the law
Defining disability: Key considerations and legal impact
Date - Wednesday 26 February 2025 at 09:30
This webinar will cover what constitutes a disability under the Equality Act 2010 and knowledge.
Join us to explore:
- The legal definition of disability in England and Wales
- Knowledge of the disability- actual or imputed
- Criteria for determining whether an employee qualifies as having a disability
- Case studies: Burke v Turning Point Scotland – an employee with long Covid symptoms was classed as disabled within the meaning of the EA 2010
- Practical advice
This webinar aims to highlight the importance of understanding your responsibilities to avoid a dispute and to promote a fair and inclusive environment.
From bias to belonging: Understanding direct and indirect disability discrimination and harassment in the workplace
Date - Wednesday 26 March 2025 at 09:30
Join us to explore:
- The legal definition of direct, indirect disability discrimination and harassment
- Legal consequences for employers and managers
- Case law examples
- Raja v Starling Bank – The Claimant had asthma so was high-risk during COVID but was subsequently dismissed because she needed to WFH
- Follows v Nationwide – The Claimant worked from home twice a week to care for disabled son. Employer wanted everyone in the office so she was dismissed.
- Practical steps
This webinar aims to help you take preventative measures to combat disability discrimination in the workplace.
Reasonable steps, remarkable results: Making reasonable adjustments in the workplace/ discrimination arising from a disability
Date - Wednesday 30 April 2025 at 09:30
This webinar will cover reasonable adjustments.
Join us to explore:
- Employers’ duty to make reasonable adjustments
- What disability arising from discrimination means
- Defining ‘reasonable’
- Consequences of failing to make reasonable adjustments
- Case studies
- Practical steps on how adjustments can be made
This webinar aims to ensure that employers and managers understand their legal responsibilities and feel confident in making reasonable adjustments.
Combatting victimisation at work and horizon scanning
Date - Wednesday 21 May 2025 at 09:30
Join us to explore:
- Definitions and key legislation (such as what constitutes harassment in the workplace)
- Employer’s duty of care
- How to manage an employer after a grievance or Tribunal claim
- Legal consequences for employers and managers
- Mediation/ facilitated conversations
- Practical steps
- A look ahead to expected changes in the law
This webinar aims to provide practical steps for employers to prevent and address these issues by refining systems to cultivate an inclusive and safe working environment.
