Tribunal win | Worker sacked after 5 days' sick leave following near-fatal allergic reaction

An employee who was sacked after taking time off work to recover from a near-fatal allergic reaction has successfully sued his employer. 

Ope Ajanaku, a compliance & onboarding analyst at financial services firm Monsas - nearly died and was left “completely immobile” after accidentally consuming traces of peanuts at his brother’s wedding. An employment tribunal in London heard that the effects were so severe he had to be rushed to a resuscitation ward at hospital.

But after notifying his place of work that he’d be taking a few days off to recover, bosses began hounding Ajanaku for medical proof of his allergic reaction, employment judges heard.

After he refused to send the firm a medical certificate, Ajanaku was reportedly hauled to a disciplinary meeting and sacked without an investigation taking place. He subsequently launched employment tribunal appeal proceedings and has now emerged victorious after a panel agreed he had been unfairly dismissed on the grounds of disability discrimination.