Risks Of Not Making Reasonable Adjustments

The case of Tyerman v NHS Digital is another recent case, which demonstrates the onus on employers to consider reasonable adjustments for job applicants. Mr Tyerman, who had been diagnosed with autism, received £20,000 from NHS Digital for their failure to make reasonable adjustments for him during the interview process, after he applied for a role in their cyber security department. NHS Digital argued that they should treat all applicants the same, but this placed Mr Tyerman at a disadvantage due to his disability. NHS Digital also felt that his request to receive questions in advance of the interview was not a reasonable adjustment.

Case facts

Mr Tyerman initially applied for a role in the cyber security department, and was short listed for the job. Due to his autism he struggled to properly communicate, and therefore requested to be able to see the interview questions in advance, and also asked them to avoid open-ended questions which he would have found