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Disability discrimination: Scope of protection conferred on contract workers

This report relates to 1 case(s)

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    Abbey Life Assurance Co Ltd v Tansell [2000] IRLR 387 CA (1 other report)

    • End-user covered

      Date:
      1 June 2000

      In Abbey Life Assurance Co Ltd v Tansell the Court of Appeal has upheld the ruling of the EAT that a contract worker can bring a disability discrimination complaint directly against an "end-user" as a principal, even where there is no direct contractual relationship between the contract worker's employer and the end-user.

In Abbey Life Assurance Co Ltd v Tansell [2000] IRLR 387, the Court of Appeal holds that a computer consultant, whose employer agreed with an agency to provide services for the agency to its client, was a "contract worker" for the agency's client. The latter, and not the agency, was the "principal" in relation to the consultant, even in the absence of a direct contract with his employer, because it made the work available for him to do; he was employed by another person; and his employer supplied him to the agency's client under a contract made with the latter.