Mental-illness dismissal unlawful

In Lang v Redland Roofing Systems Ltd an Edinburgh industrial tribunal (Chair: S F R Patrick) holds that the dismissal of an employee because her medical certificate used the word "psychosis" in circumstances where she would not have been dismissed if the certificate had given a physical illness as the reason for the absence, was unlawful disability discrimination.

Alison Lang, who has a form of mental illness called bi-polar affective disorder, was employed by Redland Roofing Systems Ltd as an internal sales representative from 8 January 1996 until 3 June 1997, when she was dismissed.