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ARTICLE · 06 DECEMBER 2009

Voluntary Worker Without Contract Not Protected By DDA

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The Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) has decided in the recent case of X v Mid-Sussex Citizens Advice Bureau that a voluntary worker, who did not have an employment contract, was not entitled to protection under the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA).

United KingdomEmployment and HR
Withers LLP
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The Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) has decided in the recent case of X v Mid-Sussex Citizens Advice Bureau that a voluntary worker, who did not have an employment contract, was not entitled to protection under the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA).

X volunteered to work for the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) for 4-5 hours per week. She entered into a volunteer agreement which was described as; '....binding in honour only ... and not a contract of employment or legally binding'.
X was under no obligation to provide services to the CAB, and in fact did not turn up to 25% of the advice sessions which she was due to attend (the CAB did not object to this).

The Employment Appeal Tribunal confirmed that X was not entitled to protection under the DDA as:

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