A start-up law firm has been ordered to pay a junior lawyer around 23,000 for discriminating against her during its recruitment process.
An employment tribunal sitting in Leeds found that Foster Clay Law treated Kandice Farrow unfavourably by halting talks over a job offer after finding out about her illness and history of absence from work.
The order includes around 16,600 for injury to feelings and 6,442 in pecuniary loss. The firm must also pay Farrow’s costs of almost 5,000.
The tribunal heard that Farrow, who was disabled at the time due to chronic illness, had worked previously as a trainee solicitor with Yorkshire firm Pinkney Grunwells but left in 2019. She had raised a grievance against the firm over the treatment of her condition, after she had a long period of intermittent sick leave relating to her illness.
Having qualified and now in search of work, she was contacted by Natalie Foster, owner of Foster Clay Law, about joining the newly-established company. Farrow said they discussed her illness in detail and the tribunal accepted she was forthright about her condition to avoid any unpleasant misunderstandings.
Farrow said she was offered a job, subject to references, although the firm denied talks had got to that stage. Foster then contacted Farrow’s former boss at Pinkney Grunwells who told her about the solicitor’s shortcoming and that there was a pattern to her absences that they usually occurred on a Monday. Foster’s notes recorded that Farrow may have a...
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