NRI Woman Sanju Pal Wins High Court Appeal for Workplace Fairness Regarding Chronic Illness

Sanju Pal, an NRI professional, won her appeal in the UK High Court after a six-year battle for workplace fairness related to chronic illness. This case highlights significant issues of disability discrimination under the Equality Act 2010.

An NRI professional, Sanju Pal, has won her High Court appeal in London after a six-year legal battle. This case is significant for women with chronic illnesses like endometriosis. Pal, from West Bengal, challenged her dismissal by Accenture UK Ltd, arguing it was unfair under the UK’s Employment Rights Act 1996 and related to disability discrimination under the UK’s Equality Act 2010.

The Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) found the original tribunal's reasoning on disability discrimination inadequate. "Ms Sanju Pal succeeds in appeal against global management consulting firm Accenture at the Employment Appeal Tribunal EAT," her lawyers stated. The EAT highlighted that medical evidence supported Pal's claim of being affected by endometriosis.

Disability Discrimination and Workplace Fairness

The EAT noted that the tribunal failed to assess whether Pal's condition would continue to affect her daily activities without treatment. This oversight means the issue of disability must be reconsidered entirely. Endometriosis affects around 1.5 million women in the UK, causing pelvic pain and other symptoms.

Pal's case began in 2019 when she was dismissed for alleged underperformance after not being promoted to senior manager at Accenture UK Ltd. She contested this dismissal at an Employment Tribunal, which ruled in her favour in May 2022 but awarded only £4,275 as a "basic award." The EAT has now sent the case back to a newly constituted tribunal for a fresh review.

Challenging Progression-Based Dismissals

The appeal also questioned Accenture's progression-based model, which could lead to dismissal if an employee isn't ready for promotion within a set timeframe. The EAT upheld this ground of appeal, stating that dismissal should be based on capability related to the work specified in the employment contract.

Pal's legal team argued that her dismissal under this model might not be fair under 'capability' grounds. Kilgannon & Partners stated, "Upholding this ground of appeal, the EAT confirmed that an employee can only be dismissed for capability relating to the work of the kind which he was employed by the employer to do."

Legal and Personal Triumph

The High Court panel, led by Judge James Tayler, noted that the original tribunal had an "extremely adverse view" of Pal. Despite this, she successfully raised funds through CrowdJustice for her appeal heard on December 9, 2025. Pal expressed relief at winning this long struggle.

Pal has been recognised with the UK Prime Minister’s Points of Light Award as the founder of Rural India Social Enterprise RISE, an education charity benefiting both the UK and rural India. Reflecting on her journey, she said, "It has been such an uphill battle to get to this point and I cannot believe that it’s all over."

Accenture UK Ltd has declined to comment on this ongoing legal matter. The outcome of this case may influence future workplace policies regarding employees with chronic health conditions.

With inputs from PTI