This unusual age discrimination claim was brought by a contract worker with poor people skills who believed that his contract was terminated because of his youth.
The Employment Appeal Tribunal has confirmed that a proposed adjustment will constitute a "reasonable adjustment" within the meaning of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 only where it prevents the provision, criterion or practice that places the disabled person at a substantial disadvantage.
This case is an example of a common scenario for employers that operate in male-dominated environments: a challenge to the authority of a female manager by a group of male employees who are not used to being managed by a woman.
The European Court of Justice has held that German legislation that requires civil servants to retire at 65 can be justified if "appropriate and necessary" means are used to achieve the aim of balancing the employment levels of young and older civil servants to encourage the recruitment and promotion of young people. It also stressed that budgetary considerations cannot by themselves constitute a legitimate aim in relation to a member state's social policy.
The Employment Appeal Tribunal has held that an employer's compliance with the TUPE legislation to preserve existing contractual terms and conditions that results in a disparity in pay can amount to a genuine material factor that may provide a defence to an equal pay claim.
This unusual case concerned whether or not an employee's beliefs that the terrorist attacks of 9/11 and 7/7 were carried out by the US and UK Governments, and were part of a "gigantic" and "evil" conspiracy, are capable of being protected as "philosophical beliefs" under discrimination law.