What do I do if I have problems at work?

Dealing with problems at work is challenging for anyone. However, when you’re young, living with epilepsy and beginning your work journey it can be even more difficult. You might not know your rights. Or you might be scared to speak up in case it ends badly.  

You shouldn’t be treated unfairly at work because you have epilepsy. But sometimes employers do treat people with epilepsy unfairly. This is known as disability discrimination.  

Discrimination

Discrimination means treating someone ‘less favourably’ because of their characteristics such as their age or their disability.  

If you think you’re being treated differently at work because of your epilepsy you should talk to someone you trust. Write down what happened and include as much information as possible - what was said or done, when and who was involved. 

Dealing with discrimination and the processes to manage it can be difficult. It can impact your wellbeing and mental health. You might want to speak to someone about discrimination and your rights.

Who can help?

• ACAS – provides free, impartial information on workplace rights and best practice.  
• Equality Advisory & Support Service (England, Scotland and Wales) – provides information and advice on equality and human rights issues. 
• Equality Commission for Northern Ireland – provides information and advice for people who feel they’ve been discriminated against. 

Complaint procedures

Your work should have a process you can follow if you think you’re being treated unfairly. Usually this involves: 

• Making an informal complaint – you should tell your employer what has happened. They should let you know what they are going to do. 
• Making a formal complaint – if you’re not happy with the outcome of your informal complaint you can make a formal complaint. This is often known as a ‘grievance’. Your employer should have a process you can follow, for example, a grievance policy. 
• Making a claim to an employment tribunal – this can be difficult for everyone involved and there’s lots to think about. It can help to talk to someone about it. There are also strict time limits on making a claim (usually three months less one day of when the issue happened).