Employers should look again at their employment practices which involve employees who act as carers in light of a landmark ruling by the European Court of Justice that has extended the Disability Discrimination Act to include those who care for people with disabilities as well as those with disabilities themselves.

The decision extends the number of employees covered by the Disability Discrimination Act to the UK's estimated six million carers who could launch tribunal actions against their employers for "discrimination by association".

Employers are obliged to treat those who care for people with disabilities, including young children or elderly relatives, no less favourably than others rather than to positively make adjustments as is the case for employees with disabilities themselves.

Mace & Jones

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