Heather Platt represented Mark Richards in his unfair dismissal and disability discrimination claim.

Mr Richards was made redundant at the end of 2017, he had worked for Brocade for 12 years and was diagnosed with kidney cancer for 11 of those years. He was reliant on the speedy and broad access to treatment via his employee benefit of private medical insurance to manage his cancer symptoms and to access medication unavailable on the NHS. He was unfairly made redundant despite his colleagues having alternative roles created for them. He lost his PHI cover, life assurance and his medical insurance that was so vital in maintaining his quality of life.

The hearing should have taken place in April 2020. The pandemic caused over a year of delay to his case, which was heard in July 2021. He died a few days before the remedy hearing in April 2022, at least knowing he had won. The Respondent resisted the claim throughout.

Heather was instructed by Mohamed Bangura, Partner at Neale Turk Rochfort LLP and was assisted by colleagues Daniella Gilbert and Alice Scott.

The judgments can be read here and here.