A former British Airways cabin crew member has won a discrimination case after being sacked following stress and anxiety symptoms that left her unable to fly.
Her manager dismissed her condition as “just a little bit of anxiety,” according to a tribunal document published on 5 August 2025.
Jennifer Clifford, who had worked for the airline for almost 40 years, developed symptoms of work-related stress and depression on 20 September 2021, leading to a period of sick leave.
On 16 July 2022, Clifford proposed a phased return to work with reasonable adjustments, including two days of ground duties weekly, aiming for a return to flying. She also requested to be based in Gatwick instead of Heathrow, to reduce commuting time.
Clifford's employer granted a phased return but not the move to Gatwick. Three months later, the airline terminated Clifford's employment on the grounds of incapacity. Clifford later sued for unfair dismissal, claiming that she had been discriminated against due to her disability. She also claimed for failure to make reasonable adjustments, and sex discrimination.
A tribunal ruled in favour of her disability discrimination claim, concluding that the airline should have considered redeploying her to an alternative ground role rather than dismissing her. Clifford needed to rebuild her confidence, the tribunal stated, and she should have been given time to adjust to returning to work. Her claim of sex discrimination was dismissed.
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