A former employee of Holiday Extras has successfully won a disability discrimination case after her former employer failed to accommodate her anxiety-related needs during remote work. Laura Tait, a travel consultant hired in June 2021, sued the vacation ancillary service company for not allowing her to keep her camera off during video calls, a requested adjustment related to her anxiety condition.

Tait experienced work-related stress and anxiety that led to recurring absences beginning in April 2022. By July 2023, she had requested a change in her duties, asking to shift toward more live chat and email customer interactions instead of voice or video calls, as these formats exacerbated her condition. While management acknowledged her request and agreed to accommodate her “wherever possible,” they cited concerns about “fairness and workloads” that prevented fully implementing the changes.

The situation reached a tipping point during a remote training session on August 24, 2023. Tait asked to disable her camera due to feeling “super anxious,” but was initially told to keep it on and try to manage. She soon found herself unable to cope and was permitted to log off. Tait was subsequently placed on sick leave in October 2023 for work-related stress and has not yet returned to work.

Tait filed a formal grievance in April 2024 accusing Holiday Extras of disability discrimination, but the complaint was dismissed, and her appeal was denied that October. However, an employment tribunal in South London later ruled in her favor. Employment Judge Liz Ord found that the company failed to implement the reasonable adjustment of allowing Tait to keep her camera off starting August 24, 2023, despite being aware of her difficulties. Though the adjustment was formally agreed upon by the company’s chief operating officer on October 4, 2024, the judge determined it should have been applied earlier.

The tribunal concluded that Holiday Extras’ failure to adequately accommodate Tait put her at “substantial disadvantages in the workplace,” constituting disability discrimination under UK employment law. The company was ordered to pay compensation, with the amount to be determined at a later date.

Tait’s case highlights ongoing challenges faced by workers with anxiety and other mental health issues in adapting to remote work environments. Her experience is not isolated; other employees have similarly suffered debilitating stress linked to workplace demands. Notably, Annie Surman, a former data storage firm employee in New York City, died by suicide amid extreme work stress and corporate changes.

The tribunal ruling reinforces employer responsibilities to provide reasonable adjustments to workers with disabilities, including mental health conditions, particularly in increasingly remote and digital work settings. Holiday Extras declined immediate comment on the decision.