The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
MP cleared of discrimination of ex-employee
Peterborough MP Fiona Onasanya has been cleared of discriminating against a former employee.
Jan Goodenough, who worked part time for the MP in October and November 2017, shortly after Ms Onasanya had been elected, said the choice of location for the constituency office at the Eco-Innovation Centre was not suitable for people with certain disabilities.
Ms Goodenough said there were no ladies toilets on the floor the office was based on, and there was only one lift in the building, which was broken during part of her time working there.
She also said she was discriminated against because she was not allowed flexible working hours which she said was required because of a number of medical conditions she suffers from. The 61-yearold suffers from arthritis, IBS and chronic fatigue syndrome.
But on the third day of a tribunal at Cambridge County Court on Friday, Judge Michael Ord said independent MP Ms Onasanya had not discriminated against Ms Goodenough.
Judge Ord said the panel, which also included Mrs Carvell and Mr Eyer, had come to a unanimous decision to dismiss the claims made by Ms Goodenough.
He praised Ms Goodenough’s attempts to get back into work, but said: “Adjustments to hours were made to the hours agreed in the contract.
“The respondent (Fiona Onasanya) had a clear need for her office to be staffed every day.”
Mr Ord also said it was not down to Ms Onasanya to decide on the location and designation of toilets in the office, and it would have been unreasonable for her to have to move office a short time after signing a licence to open the constituency base at the Eco Innovation Centre.
He also said it was not Ms Onasanya’s responsibility to ensure the lift was working but that was down to the landlord.
He added there was no claim that the building did not fit within the law.
Ms Onasanya made no comment as she left the hearing with her mother and her legal team.
Ms Goodenough, who represented herself throughout the hearing, said she thought the result did not send a good message to disabled people trying to get into work.
She said: “I think it is disappointing in general for disabled people trying to reenter the work place not to have accommodation made for them.”