An employment tribunal in the UK has ruled that companies cannot force work-from-home employees to join video meetings with their cameras on, as doing so can constitute disability discrimination. The decision means employers could be liable for damages if they fail to make reasonable adjustments for staff who experience anxiety or feel overwhelmed by the requirement.
The ruling stems from a case brought by Laura Tait, a remote travel consultant for Holiday Extras, who sued her employer for failing to accommodate her anxiety. Tait was asked to turn her camera on during a training session on August 24, 2023, but found the request overwhelming and had to log off. She had previously requested to keep her camera off due to feeling "super anxious."
Tait was granted sick leave in October 2023 for work-related stress and anxiety and has not returned to work since. In April 2024, she lodged a complaint alleging discrimination due to her adjustment requests not being met. Although her initial grievance was dismissed, an appeal was also denied.
She was eventually granted limited adjustments, including the ability to have her camera off during meetings, in October 2024. However, the tribunal found that the company should have implemented this adjustment earlier.
Employment Judge Liz Ord stated that Holiday Extras "did not allow the requested adjustment on 24 August 2023, when they were first made aware of [Ms Tait] being overwhelmed." The judge added that while the company did not subsequently require Tait to be on camera and her employer formally agreed to the adjustment on October 4, 2024, "the adjustment was reasonable and should have been put in place from 24 August 2023."
The tribunal determined that Tait faced "substantial disadvantages in the workplace" because her employer failed to make the necessary reasonable adjustments. The amount of compensation Tait will receive will be determined at a later date.