http://kidsneedmums.co.uk/2009/01/12/bipolar-employee-dismissed-for-gross-misconduct-for-having-a-breakdown-awarded-compensation-by-employment-tribunal/ A Bipolar Mum Fights for her Children in a High Court Custody Battle Sat, 13 Mar 2010 17:54:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 http://kidsneedmums.co.uk/2009/01/12/bipolar-employee-dismissed-for-gross-misconduct-for-having-a-breakdown-awarded-compensation-by-employment-tribunal/comment-page-1/#comment-1311 corin Sat, 13 Mar 2010 17:54:00 +0000 http://kidsneedmums.co.uk/?p=208#comment-1311 just to add to above, when I said "an obviously weak case" that was the CLS gloss purely because it failed the prelim stage with a very weak judgement that accepyed such arguments by the employer as that it had lost the disabilty questionnaire - despite evidence of its receipt by recorded delivery being on the file. just to add to above, when I said “an obviously weak case” that was the CLS gloss purely because it failed the prelim stage with a very weak judgement that accepyed such arguments by the employer as that it had lost the disabilty questionnaire – despite evidence of its receipt by recorded delivery being on the file.

]]> http://kidsneedmums.co.uk/2009/01/12/bipolar-employee-dismissed-for-gross-misconduct-for-having-a-breakdown-awarded-compensation-by-employment-tribunal/comment-page-1/#comment-1310 corin Sat, 13 Mar 2010 17:48:59 +0000 http://kidsneedmums.co.uk/?p=208#comment-1310 Does show there are some successful lawsuits but what paltry compensation for the hurt and career damage. Unfortunately I didn't even get that far. Applying for a job at a much lower level (I had been a city lawyer before an episode of illness) I didn't even get a response. Tried to sue (I'm not a litigator but tribunal made no allowances). Firm did not even reply to disabilty questionnaire which is supposed to provide info for aggrieved party in recognition of how difficult it is to get behind potential employers' excuses and (frankly) lies. Eventually got CLS aid and info which clearly showed lots of less qualified candidates interviewed. Unable to attend prelim hearing due to illness and tribunal threw it out. CLS unwilling to appeal an obviously weak case. I used to believe in the legal system - no longer. Being frank about one's "disability", I found the other side and the court and its officials - far from taking it into account as they should - used every trick in the book to delay, hamper, embarrass - in the hope of ending the case. Subsequently I applied for a caseworker job at the ombudsman )again well below my qualifications). Again I was upfront about previous periods of illness. First they said they had lost the application. Then they found it but said I did not qualify for the "guaranteed" interview because I did not seem to meet the basic requirements of dealing with complex problems and customer service - this with a CV containing three uni degrees, law school distinction, qualified as lawyer for 10 years, working in CITY. It wd be a joke if it were not so insulting. This time I was advised by family and friends not to bother with the legal system. The so-called anti-discrimination laws are equally a joke in bad taste. Does show there are some successful lawsuits but what paltry compensation for the hurt and career damage. Unfortunately I didn’t even get that far. Applying for a job at a much lower level (I had been a city lawyer before an episode of illness) I didn’t even get a response. Tried to sue (I’m not a litigator but tribunal made no allowances). Firm did not even reply to disabilty questionnaire which is supposed to provide info for aggrieved party in recognition of how difficult it is to get behind potential employers’ excuses and (frankly) lies. Eventually got CLS aid and info which clearly showed lots of less qualified candidates interviewed. Unable to attend prelim hearing due to illness and tribunal threw it out. CLS unwilling to appeal an obviously weak case. I used to believe in the legal system – no longer. Being frank about one’s “disability”, I found the other side and the court and its officials – far from taking it into account as they should – used every trick in the book to delay, hamper, embarrass – in the hope of ending the case. Subsequently I applied for a caseworker job at the ombudsman )again well below my qualifications). Again I was upfront about previous periods of illness. First they said they had lost the application. Then they found it but said I did not qualify for the “guaranteed” interview because I did not seem to meet the basic requirements of dealing with complex problems and customer service – this with a CV containing three uni degrees, law school distinction, qualified as lawyer for 10 years, working in CITY. It wd be a joke if it were not so insulting. This time I was advised by family and friends not to bother with the legal system. The so-called anti-discrimination laws are equally a joke in bad taste.

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