Teacher with Long Covid Wins £42,000 for Unfair Dismissal

A teacher suffering from long Covid has been awarded more than £42,000 in compensation after being unfairly dismissed for excessive absences. Joanna White told an employment tribunal that when she raised concerns about her health, her deputy headteacher told her she "just had to get on with it."

The tribunal found that Dorothy Stringer School in Brighton had been "actively looking" to terminate her employment as soon as possible after she took more than six months off due to illness. Over a 20-month period, Ms. White had not been able to sustain a "full teaching load" for more than four weeks at a time.

Ms. White successfully sued Brighton and Hove City Council for disability discrimination and unfair dismissal, receiving £42,118.50 in compensation.

The hearing, held in Croydon, South London, revealed that Ms. White had worked at the secondary school since 2007 and had a pre-existing autoimmune condition before the pandemic. She had already received a warning about her absences in February 2020. After testing positive for Covid in November 2020, she was off work until the following academic term in January 2021.

The tribunal heard that Ms. White repeatedly raised health concerns with Deputy Headteacher Richard Baker and Head of Year Ms. Poole. She claimed Mr. Baker told her, "there is no such thing as rest in teaching," while Ms. Poole dismissed her concerns, telling her to "just get on with it." Mr. Baker denied making the statement but acknowledged he was aware of Ms. White's exhaustion.

On March 3, 2021, Ms. White informed the school she was experiencing long Covid symptoms. She was signed off work from April 7 to May 2021 and again from May to December that year. In September 2022, she suffered a concussion and was signed off until November.

Following a review, the school determined she should be dismissed on the grounds of capability. However, Employment Judge Adam Leith ruled that the decision violated the school's own policies and deemed the dismissal unreasonable.

PM Law