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Inland Revenue found guilty of disability discrimination
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A tribunal has ruled that a deaf Inland Revenue worker suffered disability
discrimination after he committed suicide during an inquiry into computer
misuse. 37 year-old Nigel Osborn-Clark worked in Bristol and hanged
himself in 2004 subsequent to the launch in October 2003 of an inquiry
into his opening of his wife's file, an act which broke misuse rules.
The tribunal ruled that the Inland Revenue failed to ensure he was
given an interpreter for an induction session on misuse policy. His
family are now seeking damages.
Mr Osborn-Clark admitted accessing his wife's file and was so distressed
that he took the next day off sick. The tribunal said: "Mr Osborn-Clarke's
distress was connected with his deafness. Because he was married with
a young child and another on the way, the family were dependent on
his earnings and his disability meant that the number of jobs available
to him was limited."
Mr Osborn-Clark hanged himself on 28 January 2004. The tribunal said:
"It is impossible for us to speculate as to the reasons why Mr Osborn-Clarke
killed himself. It seems clear that he was deeply affected by the
disciplinary proceedings brought against him and that he expressed
himself to be concerned as to what would happen to him and his family
if he lost his job."
Because they failed to provide Mr Osborn-Clarke with a sign language
interpreter for an induction process on its computer misuse policy
the tribunal found that the Inland Revenue had breached the 1995 Disability
Discrimination Act.
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