This page explains what the law says about disability, work and employment rights, and what you should expect from your employer after a stroke.

On this page:

Disability discrimination

Disability discrimination is against the law. It happens when an employee is treated less favourably due to their disability. This treatment might be direct and obvious, or it may be the result of a policy that appears equal but actually disadvantages some groups. For example, requiring everyone to enter a building via stairs may be indirect discrimination. Harassment and victimisation can be viewed as types of discrimination, if they are linked to a disability.

There is useful information about your rights at work on the Equality and Human Rights Commission website.

Am I disabled?

The legal definition of a disability in the UK is a physical and/or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term effect on your ability to carry out daily activities. You might not think of yourself as ‘disabled’ but the law is there to help everyone, including people with non-physical disabilities like cognitive and emotional problems. The Equality Act 2010 exists to protect people from all types of discrimination, including disability-based discrimination. It covers many areas of life including work, travel and access to services.

Disability leave

Some employers have a disability leave policy which allows employees to take paid leave related to their disability, such as for treatment or rehabilitation. This is separate from sickness absence. Disability leave is treated as a reasonable adjustment under the Equality Act 2010 and employers are not obliged to offer it.

Find out how your employer treats absence due to disability. This should be in the staff handbook or you can ask your line manager or a trade union representative, if you have one.  

If disability leave is not available in your workplace, time off for medical appointments may be considered a reasonable adjustment.

Reasonable adjustments

The Equality Act 2010 states that a disability should not stop someone from working or having the same rights and access to opportunities as other people. Employers have a duty to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ for employees who are disabled.

What is a reasonable adjustment?

A reasonable adjustment is a change to the workplace or the way a disabled person does their job in order to allow them to work. This may include changing work times, transferring to another post or providing specialist equipment to help with certain tasks.

Reasonable adjustments do not have to be expensive or complicated. It’s about looking at the barriers a person is experiencing and thinking creatively about removing them. Employers cannot ask the disabled person to meet the cost of any reasonable adjustments.

Employers should allow time to make sure reasonable adjustments can be made before an employee returns to work.

Examples of reasonable adjustments may include

  • Getting help from a support worker.
  • Changing the time you start and finish work to avoid rush hour travel.
  • Changing tasks to suit what you can do.
  • Changing targets or getting support from other colleagues to meet targets.
  • Providing emails or documents in accessible format.
  • Reducing working hours. You are only legally entitled to be paid for the hours you actually work, but your employer should discuss any changes in pay with you. If your terms of employment and pay have been changed, you can seek individual advice from Acas.
  • Being allowed to take time off to attend hospital appointments.
  • Regular meetings with your manager to see how the tasks set are going.
  • Working in a quieter office.
  • Having help from an occupational health team.
  • Making adjustments to the recruitment and interview process when hiring for a new role.

Be clear about your support needs. The duty to make reasonable adjustments only applies when someone has a disability as defined in the Equality Act. It does not apply if the employer could not reasonably be expected to know that a person is disabled. Therefore, it’s very important to be honest about the effects of your stroke and keep in contact with your employer. The way your stroke affects your work should be documented in your return-to-work plan and reviewed regularly.

The charity Disability Law Service offers a free tool called WorkRights to help you check if you’re eligible for reasonable adjustments due to disability.

Even if your difficulties do not meet the legal definition of a disability, your employer can still make adjustments to help you.

Help with problems at work

For many stroke survivors, being back in work after a long time off sick can be difficult, no matter how well prepared they feel before they go back. Some say tasks that were easy before their stroke become more difficult afterwards, and that regaining skills, confidence and stamina can take a long time. Here are some tips if you feel you’re not doing well at work or getting the support you need:

  • Speak to your line manager or occupational health advisor. See if they can suggest any further reasonable adjustments.
  • Ask for a re-assessment from your NHS occupational therapist or from Access to Work.
    • If you feel you’re not getting the reasonable adjustments or other support you need at work, try to get some individual advice. Speak to a trade union representative if you have one. If not, Acas can help with work-related disputes (or the Labour Relations Agency if you work in Northern Ireland.)

Can I be dismissed for taking long-term sick leave?

In some cases, it will be considered legally ‘fair’ for an employer to dismiss an employee due to long-term illness. In these situations, the employer is first required to consider as many ways as possible to help their employee back to work. If the employer decides to pursue an ill-health dismissal, they should:

  • Obtain medical evidence (with the employee’s permission).
  • Arrange an occupational health assessment.
  • Prove that no reasonable adjustments can be made to enable the employee to do their job.

Unfair dismissal

If your employer fails to take the above steps, or if you disagree with your employer’s interpretation of the medical recommendations, you may be able to bring a claim for unfair dismissal.

If you think your employer is behaving unlawfully, you should seek professional advice. You can get advice from a solicitor, a trade union or an organisation like Acas or Citizens Advice.

If you need to make a claim to an employment tribunal, the time limit for making a claim is three months minus one day from the unlawful act. It’s important not to delay in getting advice. The best way to avoid dismissal is to stay open and honest about your support needs, and keep in contact with your employer about your recovery.

Redundancy

Employers must consult with you before making your role redundant. The same arrangements and requirements for redundancy will apply for disabled people as for non-disabled employees.

Employers need to ensure disabled employees can fully join in the consultation. They must ensure the person gets the information, fully understands the proposals and has had the same chance as other employees to contribute to the consultation process. This may mean asking for extra time to read and make sense of documents.

If your employer has not consulted with you before making you redundant, you should seek the help of an experienced adviser from an organisation such as Citizens Advice or Acas. You could contact your trade union if you’re a member.

You cannot be selected for redundancy based on your disability. This could be grounds for unfair dismissal.