A long-serving British Airways flight attendant has won a discrimination claim after being sacked when she became too anxious to fly.
Jennifer Clifford worked for the airline for almost 40 years before the Covid-19 pandemic, an employment tribunal heard.
However, during a period of furlough and sick leave, she developed symptoms of stress and depression, leading to her being declared unfit to fly.
After being temporarily moved to a ground role, Ms Clifford was still unable to take to the skies by the end of 2022 and was fired.
She sued BA claiming that a manager had ‘minimised’ the severity of her condition by describing it as ‘just a little bit of anxiety’.
And she is now set for compensation after the tribunal found the airline should have given her more credit for her long service and considered a different role for her that didn’t involve flying.
The hearing in Reading, Berks, was told Ms Clifford began working for BA in 1983 as a member of cabin crew.
A long-serving British Airways flight attendant has won a discrimination claim after being sacked when she became too anxious to fly. Pictured: Stock image of a British Airways plane
Jennifer Clifford worked for the airline for almost 40 years before the Covid-19 pandemic, an employment tribunal heard. Pictured: Stock image
She had risen to the rank of inflight manager by the time of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and was placed on furlough leave in April.
During her period of leave she was told that she would be made redundant in August 2020.
This was later revoked and she was offered a role as cabin crew, two grades below her previous rank, a move she launched a grievance about.
Ms Clifford remained on furlough until September 2021 but then started a period of sick leave, based on depression and work-related stress.
This was her first period of sick leave in her almost 40 years at BA, the hearing was told.
Ms Clifford later proposed a phased return from Gatwick Airport, rather than her normal base at Heathrow, as this would reduce her commuting time. She also asked to work on the ground two days a week.
In September 2022 she was told that if she did not make herself fit to fly then a termination date for her to lose her job would be set.
She was later offered a role in the Heathrow Help Hub, an area which help flyers and disabled passengers within the airport.
During this time her manager Nigel Landy described her as having ‘just a little bit on anxiety’ and said ‘if you don’t like working here then leave’, the tribunal heard.
After being temporarily moved to a ground role, Ms Clifford was still unable to take to the skies by the end of 2022 and was fired. Pictured: Stock image of a British Airways flight
A termination date was set for March 2023 due to her inability to fly, but she left in December 2022.
Upholding her claims of disability discrimination, failure to make reasonable adjustments and unfair dismissal, Employment Judge Emma Hawksworth concluded: ‘Ms Clifford needed a phased return in a ground duties placement before returning to her full contractual flying role.
‘That was because of the need to rebuild her confidence and to give time to adjust to working again, and these requirements arose from her disability.
‘She remained unable, because of anxiety and depression, to return to her flying role when required to do so by [British Airways] at the end of the resourcing and recruitment placement.
‘Mr Landy telling [Ms Clifford] she had “just a little bit of anxiety” was clumsy and suggested to [Ms Clifford] that he was minimising her condition. It came across as an attempt to dismiss how she was feeling.
‘[Ms Clifford] had very long service with [BA]. She had had a lengthy period of absence from work, in part because of things for which she was not responsible: a long period of furlough and a long period when the respondent was considering her grievance.
‘A reasonable employer would have given her a longer and more suitable phased return and would, in line with its policy, have considered redeployment to a ground based role before deciding to dismiss her.’
Ms Clifford’s additional claim of sex discrimination was dismissed.
