As a women’s rights organisation rooted in the Indian diaspora in the United Kingdom, we warmly welcome the recent High Court decision in London recognising the importance of workplace fairness for women living with chronic health conditions. This ruling, won by Sanju Pal, a UK professional originally from West Bengal, is more than an individual triumph it marks a pivotal moment in the fight against discrimination and for equality for women with invisible illnesses in workplaces across the UK.
Sanju’s six-year legal battle began after she was dismissed from her role at Accenture (UK) Ltd, the global management consulting and professional services firm. Sanju Pal was dismissed from her managerial role there after she did not secure promotion to senior manager level, which became the focus of her legal challenge on workplace fairness and disability discrimination. Sanju suffers from endometriosis, a chronic condition that can cause severe pain and fatigue. Despite medical evidence of how the condition affected her work, her case initially faced resistance within the legal system.
At the heart of Sanju’s appeal was the question of whether her treatment constituted discrimination under the Equality Act 2010, which protects individuals from unfair treatment related to disability including chronic illnesses that significantly impact day-to-day life. Women’s health conditions like endometriosis are often misunderstood or minimised in the workplace, leaving many women without the protections and adjustments they urgently need. Sanju’s case challenged this status quo.
The Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) recognised that the earlier tribunal had not fully considered evidence about how Sanju’s condition affected her daily life or whether appropriate workplace adjustments were made. The EAT agreed that the case must now return to a fresh tribunal for a full review reflecting the need for legal processes to properly account for chronic illness as a protected characteristic under disability law.
Sanju’s legal team also challenged a controversial performance progression model used by her employer, where employees could be dismissed simply for not being ready for promotion within a predetermined time frame. The EAT agreed that such a policy must be assessed carefully against principles of fairness and capability, especially when chronic health conditions can influence career progression.
This judgment resonates deeply with the experiences of many women particularly Indian women living in the diaspora who face systemic disadvantages in professional environments because of health conditions that are poorly understood or insufficiently accommodated. Conditions like endometriosis affect hundreds of thousands of women in the UK, yet too often those affected are forced to choose between their health and their careers.
For many women in our community living with chronic illness, the path to workplace justice can be long, stressful, and isolating. Sanju’s victory, however, sends a powerful message: no woman should be forced out of her job simply because she is managing a chronic illness. Employers must be held accountable to make reasonable adjustments, understand medical evidence, and ensure that performance and progression policies do not unfairly penalise those who face health-related challenges.
We call on employers across the UK especially in sectors with high numbers of Indian and diaspora women professionals to use this decision as a catalyst for change. Workplaces must adopt inclusive policies that respect the needs of women with chronic conditions, actively combat stigma, and uphold the rights enshrined in UK equality law.
This ruling is an encouraging step toward true workplace equality, but much more remains to be done. As a community and as advocates for women’s rights, we stand ready to support women who face discrimination, educate employers about chronic illness, and push for policies that protect health, dignity, and career opportunities for all.
