Disciplinary, capability and grievance procedures 


Disciplinary, capability and grievance procedures must be non-discriminatory. Examples of discrimination have included:


• carrying out an investigation into an allegation of fraud that lasted longer than would have been the case if the employee had been white (Garry v LB Ealing [2001] IRLR 681);


• failing to take account of a female employee’s disclosure, in a capability process, that menopause symptoms were affecting her work (Merchant v British Telecom plc ET 1401305/11, unreported); 


• continuing with a disciplinary hearing even though the employee was absent with a pregnancy-related sickness (Abbey National v Formoso [1999] IRLR 222);


• starting a formal capability procedure against the only black divisional director at an NHS Trust when white co-workers were only asked to attend informal meetings. After the black director lodged a grievance alleging race discrimination, supported by statistical evidence that black employees were significantly more likely to be disciplined or dismissed than non-white staff, conducting sham disciplinary proceedings that led to his summary dismissal (Central Manchester University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust v Browne [2011] UKEAT/0294/11);


• refusing to adjourn a dismissal hearing for a claimant accused of gross misconduct who was suffering from work-related depression brought on by the disciplinary process to wait for the occupational health evidence and instead making stereotypical assumptions about disability (Hibbert v The Home Office & Others [2013] UKEAT 0138/13/2410);


• conducting a misconduct investigation into activities of a bank manager with depression without pre-warning him of the allegations; and not allowing him to be accompanied to the investigation meeting (Royal Bank of Scotland v O’Doherty [2012] UKEAT/0489/12/89);


• failing to investigate and take decisive action following allegations of racial name-calling and abusive remarks, and failing to recognise that racial banter and jokes are not acceptable. The excuse — lack of staff in a small HR department — was no justification for not treating the matter as a top management priority (Burrell v Micheldever Tyre Services Limited [2013] UKEAT 0427/12/1502);


• denying a bonus linked to good attendance to disabled employees whose absences were disability-related (Land Registry v Houghton & Others [2015] UKEAT/0149/14/BA).