Wetherspoons has been instructed to compensate a pub employee with autism over £25,000 following allegations of mistreatment related to his use of a staff discount for a family meal. Brandon Halstead, employed as a kitchen porter at The Albany Palace pub in Trowbridge, Wiltshire, faced reprimand from his superiors for utilizing his discount to cover a dinner with his mother and five other relatives at another branch of the pub chain in August 2023. He was accused of violating his job duties, deemed dishonest, and subjected to disciplinary action, which led to feelings of persecution and disappointment.
An employment tribunal determined that Mr. Halstead, who later took time off due to workplace stress, should receive £25,412 as his autism placed him at a significant disadvantage. According to reports from the Daily Mail, the porter was summoned for a misconduct hearing after allegedly misusing the discount to receive a 20 percent reduction – £19.17 – on his meal. During the tribunal in Bristol, it was revealed that Mr. Halstead, who started his employment in September 2018, was unaware that the discount was only valid for groups of four or fewer individuals.
In a subsequent encounter with his manager, Mr. Halstead admitted to using his discount for himself and more than three others, stating he was unaware of any limitations. Additionally, he disclosed that his mother had access to his Wetherspoons app to view his work schedules, which was deemed a breach of data security policy. Despite explanations from Mr. Halstead and his mother regarding the impact of his autism, he was still subjected to a gross misconduct disciplinary process, leading to elevated stress and anxiety, ultimately resulting in his absence from work.
Following a formal grievance raised by Mr. Halstead’s mother, attempts were made by senior Wetherspoons officials to address the situation, but no resolution was reached. Despite requests for compensation or a goodwill gesture due to the circumstances, Wetherspoons declined, prompting claims of disability-related harassment and failure to make reasonable adjustments to be brought to the tribunal. The tribunal highlighted that while there was unjust treatment towards Mr. Halstead, it did not constitute harassment. It was emphasized that applying a zero tolerance policy to an individual with autism, who was unaware of the rule and did not act dishonestly, was an unreasonable response.
The tribunal judge upheld the claim for reasonable adjustments, citing that the standard procedure placed Mr. Halstead at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-autistic individual, as the stress and anxiety experienced were intensified by his condition. The judgment emphasized that Mr. Halstead’s admission to the discount policy breach stemmed from a lack of awareness rather than dishonesty, a common trait associated with autism.
Wetherspoons has been contacted by The Mirror for a response.
