Not rostered to work over the 2020 Christmas period

May 2021

Brittany* is a young woman who has a disability. If she was to get COVID-19, it is likely she would become seriously ill.  

Brittany worked as a casual shop assistant and had time off during 2020 on the advice of her doctors. She approached her employer in September 2020, requesting to be put on the roster over the Christmas period because her doctor had advised that the risk of exposure to the virus had fallen. Brittany’s employer expressed concern that if she changed her mind during the busy trading period, they would be inconvenienced. They said it would be best if she came back to work after Christmas.  

Brittany lodged a complaint of disability discrimination with ADNSW.

The matter was resolved in a conciliation conference. Brittany’s employer did not admit to discriminating against her but apologised for the way she had been treated. They agreed to pay $4000 for lost wages and undertake disability awareness training.  

*Name has been changed to protect the privacy of the individual.