Employers frequently fire employees because they perform poorly on the job. However, what if the employee’s poor performance was because of a disability that the employer could have easily accommodated? Even worse, what if the employee had what’s called a “hidden discrimination,” so the employer never even realized that the employee needed some special help?
Hidden discrimination is a real problem around the world. What often happens is an employee with a disability will try to hide the issue from his or her coworkers and superiors for fear of being discriminated against or mistreated. Hidden disabilities might include depression, epilepsy, diabetes, ADD, dyslexia, and autism. While people with disability could get a few extra benefits in the workplace as well as support from a Ndis Service Provider In Sydney, Care For Family, for instance, they still might feel uncomfortable and inferior about sharing their medical problems. Moreover, discrimination against disabled people can be one of a serious problem for employees everywhere.
Employers who don’t keep a look out for hidden disabilities could find themselves facing a lawsuit if they inadvertently discriminate against workers who have such disabilities. For example, imagine an employer who fires a worker for daydreaming too much, when in fact, the worker is suffering from the symptoms of ADD. In some cases, a disabled worker might have a viable claim to make against an employer following a termination that happens due to the workers’ disability.
It’s fortunate that anti-discrimination laws exist to protect workers who have been unlawfully terminated because of a disability or some other kind of protected status. However, it takes more than just the existence of laws for workers to benefit from the various protections they offer. Workers who have suffered from the ill-effects of workplace discrimination need to stand up for their rights by filing claims and lawsuits to protect themselves.
