Tribunal Awards Worker £9,710 in Tourette's Discrimination Case

A UK employment tribunal has awarded almost £10,000 to a worker with Tourette syndrome after ruling that a confectionery manufacturer rejected his job application because of his disability — a decision that cost the company £8,000 plus interest, bringing the final award to £9,710.

The case, brought by Mr Gee against JF Renshaw Limited (In Administration), centres on a 2023 hiring decision rather than the dismissal itself. Gee submitted his claim on 13 November 2023, which placed his original dismissal and a 2021 job rejection outside the statutory time limits. The June 2023 rejection, however, was in time, and the tribunal found in his favour on that claim.

What happened

Gee worked for JF Renshaw, a confectionery manufacturer that entered administration before being acquired by British Bakels in 2023. His work was described as temporary or casual. He has ADHD, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and Tourette syndrome, and he disclosed these conditions to his employer after an occupational health referral in October 2020.

The tribunal heard that his health issues had a "substantial and long-term impact" on his day-to-day life.

In September 2020, Gee swore at an employee because he felt she was not pulling her weight. In November 2020, he called another employee a "lazy bastard". Because the outburst was believed to arise from his disability, the company arranged an occupational health meeting.

Occupational health suggested adjustments including clear instructions on workplace expectations, letting him report practices he considered incorrect, and "time-out" sessions where he could remove himself from overwhelming situations.

The OH team sent its letter with these recommendations in November 2020. On the same day, the head of manufacturing sent Gee a letter terminating his employment with one week's notice, citing the need to release temporary staff. Two employees were dismissed: Gee and one other with a poor absence record.

Gee applied for jobs with the company in June 2021 and June 2023. Both applications were rejected.

The ruling

While the dismissal and 2021 rejection claims were out of time, the tribunal ruled that the June 2023 rejection amounted to direct disability discrimination because the company "treated him less favourably than a hypothetical person without his disability".

In deciding remedy, Employment Judge Callum Cowx detailed the severity of the impact on Gee.

"He felt upset, anguish and anger, to such a degree that he self-harmed by biting, burning or stabbing the back of his hand," Judge Cowx said.

"The job rejection in 2023 compounded his sense of injustice which is part of his condition and increased his sense of worthlessness and that society would not recognise the nature of his condition and make allowances for him."

Gee now works for himself but "feels he will always be judged and misunderstood by fellow employees and the discrimination by the respondent has contributed to this," the judge added.

"The claimant is still suffering the effects of the discrimination over two-and-a-half years later."

The tribunal awarded £8,000 plus interest, resulting in the final figure of £9,710.

Why it matters for hiring practice

For hiring managers and HR teams, the ruling underlines that disability discrimination liability does not end at dismissal. Re-hiring decisions carry the same legal exposure, and time-limit rules mean the most recent decision in a chain of events can still support a claim even when earlier ones cannot. Companies that reject candidates with known disabilities and documented adjustment histories without clear, non-discriminatory reasoning risk tribunal findings — and awards that account for serious psychological harm.