WFH beats feigning interest in colleagues, tribunal told

An employment tribunal ruled that John-Paul Pryce, who suffers from anxiety and fear of crowded indoor spaces, was disabled under the Equality Act
Sian Bradley
The Times
John-Paul Pryce told the tribunal it was “unfair to assume that everyone wants or needs other people around them”
John-Paul Pryce told the tribunal it was “unfair to assume that everyone wants or needs other people around them”
GETTY IMAGES
Sian Bradley
The Times

A Scottish government employee who loathed having to “feign interest” in colleagues took his employer to a tribunal after he was refused permission to permanently work from home.

John-Paul Pryce, an administrative case officer in the government-funded Debt Arrangement Scheme (DAS), worked remotely during the pandemic but was told to return to the office in 2022.

An employment tribunal, held over video call, heard that Pryce had been working from home since March 2020 “due to anxiety and extreme concern regarding crowded indoor spaces and diseases”.

He submitted a flexible working request in March 2022. In an email to his HR department in May he said he was “happier overall” working remotely as he was more “comfortable, productive and safe”.

Pryce wrote: “I have no