u/Automatic-Thanks-433

Hi,

I recently submitted a grievence and had a hearing at my work and wanted to ask for some realistic advice pelase.

Grievence was based on:

- Failure to implement adjustments

-Direct Discrimination and Discrimination arising from Disability (ADHD)

- Harrasment/victimisation

- Non consented OH referral

I've had a hearing and am awaiting the outcomes from internal investigation.

This is a long post so please bear with me!

I'm based in England. Work as Accounts Assistant, £26k salary been employed over two years.

Reasonable adjustments were implemented informally by my original and current line manager, compressed four day week, two days working from home, flexible start times, written meeting follow ups, pre meeting agendas. Walking meetings, lighting filters. Nothing expensive or structurally difficult.

The compressed hours and wfh was documented in a finance team wide email from my Financial Controller in October 2025.

A new senior manager (SM) joined and from November 2025 his conduct toward me deteriorated.

Here's a chronological event timeline:

March 2025: I sent a ADHD Employers Guide via Teams to the SM. He acknowledged with a thumbs up.

May 2025: I disclosed my ADHD openly in the finance team chat with 19 participants. SM reacted positively.

November 2025: I formally requested specific reasonable adjustments around a specific monthly P&L meeting, via Teams. SM responded in writing: "rest assured, we will work in a way that you find comfortable." Nothing was implemented.

December 2025 onwards: SM began conducting unstructured one to ones without my line manager present. Language used included lazy, workshy and more. He questioned my working from home arrangement despite having signed off my hours himself and admitted in writing my working pattern "did not cross my mind" when scrutinising my work flow and making demands of me.

February 2026: Three one to one meetings while my line manager was on annual leave. Following these meetings colleagues witnessed me in distress abd had to calm me down on multiple occasions. I was visibly shaking and unable to speak.

I have Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria associated with my ADHD. The SM demanded my ADHD diagnosis letter in a private setting, refused my requests to postpone chats without someone else present and threatened to remove my line manager if I kept requesting his presence. He suggested some people on the team need to rethink their careers.

19 February 2026: Same day GP appointment. GP issued a letter formally recommending working from home as medically beneficial. This letter was subsequently filed in my personnel record.

5 March 2026: I emailed HR admin asking to explore whether an occupational health discussion might help provide structured support.

24 March 2026: An OH referral was submitted without my prior discussion or consent, marked as having been discussed with me when it had not. Ticked not related to work as a reason for referral.

Questions in the document framed the referral as questioning whether my ADHD makes me fit to carry out my role and included questions about my second job. The SM subsequently acknowledged the referral was sent in error without my consent.

25 March 2026: SM called my to assure me a scheduled catch up meeting was not a formal performance meeting. I emailed that morning stating I was not in a position to proceed with any performance discussion given my OH concerns and requested postponement. The meeting proceeded regardless. The SM raised five to six performance concerns. Typed meeting notes arrived fifteen minutes after the meeting ended and were placed on my personnel file without my agreement. Worth noting this is the straw thst broke my back, prompting a grievence. The examples and language used in this document is derogotary, questions my capability in a way that frames adhd characteristics and working style as attitude or aptitude failings.

13 April 2026: Formal grievance submitted citing sections 13, 20, and 27 of the Equality Act 2010.

17 April 2026: During a live grievance process the CFO attempted to increase my office attendance and reduce my working from home days.

27 April 2026: Stage 2 grievance hearing conducted by the Managing Director. Accompanied by a colleague who provided first hand witness evidence of my distress. The MD agreed all my additions to the hearing minutes including my explicit harassment characterisation and clarification that acknowledging the file note was not acceptance of its contents. She stated I was not asking for anything unreasonable and committed to a discussion meeting before finalising findings rather than just a written outcome.

1 May 2026: Supplementary evidence submission sent to MD referencing seven exhibits including the written adjustment commitment, the ADHD employers guide acknowledgment, the function wide hours email and Teams exchanges with my manager and colleagues directly contradicting the central performance allegations in the personnel file record note.

I have now initiated Acas EC and have begun talkin to Solicitors.

The Evidence I hold:

Written adjustment commitment from November 2025. Written admission working pattern did not cross his mind January 2026. Finance wide hours email October 2025. GP letter February 2026 recommending home working whic is filed in my personnel record. OH referral showing factual inaccuracies. Line manager's written confirmation contradicting the file note's central allegations. Agreed Stage 2 hearing minutes including legal framing. Message chain confirming SM acknowledged the OH referral was an error. Contemporaneous task completion records.

I've stated the following as Outcomes I seek:

Removal of the personnel file note. Formal written acknowledgment of reasonable adjustments. Acknowledgment the working environment caused significant harm to my wellbeing. Clean reference. Assurance that no further performance management action will be taken in connection with my disability or my accommodation requests.

I've not stated that I want to leave the company due to this and I will be exploring if/waht settlement is fair, reflecting the sustained impact. I'd be thinking of my future job search and time to recover.

What I'd like to ask:

How strong does this look overall as something to be settled before ET?

Is the victimisation argument as strong as I think given the sequence.

Is Vento banding something to consider, given the duration, RSD context and documented physical distress?

Would a solicitor take this no win no fee.

Anything obvious missing before the MD outcome discussion lands?

Thanks for reading!!

Hi all.

I've been at my employer for over 25 months.

Using anonymous account and keeping names and other details out of it.

I have a formally diagnosed neurodevelopmental condition, which I disclosed early in my employment.

My then line manager was supportive and put adjustments in place that worked well. Most were formally communicated, some were seen as informal accommodations.

A new senior manager joined and immediately challenged adjuustments, since then support has gradually fallen away.

Over a period of 6 months the following happened:

I made written requests for adjustments that were acknowledged, but not implemented.

My working style that's linked to my condition was described to me as lazy, workshy, difficult to work with and lacking attitude for change. This is in writing and during informal meetings I hadn’t been prepared for.

Medical information was shared with a third party without my knowledge or consent. I can't go into too much detail here for risk of exposure.

A meeting framed as informal was held the same day I raised concerns about the sharing of medical data. Following this meeting a formal performance note was placed on my personnel file, presented to me within minutes of the meeting ending.

While a formal complaint was ongoing, the manager attempted to remove an agreed adjustment that my GP had previously recommended in writing.

The same manager had earlier acknowledged my condition positively and indicated they would support me.

I’ve raised a formal grievance and started the ACAS process.

Could people here with ET or similar experience help me consider how likely ACAS early conciliation would be in producing a fair outcome, or is tribunal the more realistic route?

Thanks in advance.