Monique Francois

Case Summary

The claimant, a black woman with a physical disability, claimed that she was discriminated against when decision makers refused to make a discretionary payment to her during sickness absence, which had earlier been paid to another female employee who was white and neurodiverse.

• •discretionary payment during sickness absence

Judgment approved by the court Stay Safe East v Monique Francois © EAT 2025 Page 1 [2025] EAT 199 Neutral Citation Number: [2025] EAT 199 Case No: EA-2024-000929-RN EMPLOYMENT APPEAL TRIBUNAL Rolls Building Fetter Lane, London, EC4A 1NL Date: 5 December 2025 Before: HIS HONOUR JUDGE BARKLEM --------------------- Between: STAY SAFE EAST Appellant - and - MONIQUE FRANCOIS Respondent --------------------- --------------------- Mr Rad Kohanzad (instructed by Croner) for the Appellant Mr Adam Ohringer (instructed by TSUT Carpenters Group) for the Respondent Hearing dates: 3 & 5 December 2025 --------------------- JUDGMENT Judgment approved by the court Stay Safe East v Monique Francois © EAT 2025 Page 2 [2025] EAT 199 SUMMARY Discrimination An employment tribunal rejected an unopposed application to adjourn a full hearing. The claimant’s witness statement had not been received in advance of the hearing by the respondent or the tribunal itself. There was considerable oral augmentation of that statement. The respondent’s representative was unable to attend the actual hearing. The claimant’s claim was that, in a discriminatory way, decision makers refused to make a discretionary payment to her, (a black woman with a physical disability) during sickness absence, which had earlier been paid to another female employee who was white and neurodiverse, The tribunal’s written reasons do not set out the relevant law other than by referen…