Blind man wins £18,500 after bakery sacking

A blind man sacked during his probation at a bakery amid claims he made mistakes has won £18,500, including £12,000 for injury to feelings.

An employment tribunal found not enough was done by The Village Bakery in Coedpoeth, Wrexham county, to accommodate Ian Stanley.

He was dismissed six weeks into his three-month probation.

The company, which employs 170 at the plant, claimed it was on health and safety grounds, that production was affected and that there was a risk of damage to machines.

Judge Rhian Brace upheld Mr Stanley's claim he received "unfavourable treatment" in being dismissed because of his disability.

Mr Stanley, who is registered blind and was diagnosed with Bardet Biedl syndrome in 2010, worked as a factory packer for 18 years before he was taken on by The Village Bakery.

The tribunal heard his bosses knew of his disability.

Night shift manager Kevin Jones said he soon received reports Mr Stanley was making mistakes, including crashing racks of bread into machinery, dropping loaves and not cleaning trays properly.

He was given various jobs, including measuring the temperature of bread, but had difficulty reading the thermometer.

He also had problems in using a small keypad to clock in.

The tribunal found he should have been given more time to learn the layout of the factory and other procedures.

"We concluded that giving the claimant more time to familiarise himself with the processes, the people and the factory environment would have been a practicable step that would have been effective," said Judge Brace.

Tom Breeze, manager of the Coedpoeth bakery, said the company could not afford to employ someone especially to help Mr Stanley even on a short-term basis.

The tribunal rejected this.

The panel also rejected the argument health and safety issues were a consideration because Mr Stanley had been allowed to continue working for six weeks without a health and safety assessment.

However, in the remedy judgement, the tribunal concluded: "There was no more than a 50% chance of the claimant reaching the standard required at the end of that probationary period with adjustments and continuing in employment beyond the probationary period as extended."