A British Airways flight attendant with nearly 40 years of service has won a discrimination claim against the airline after she was fired for being too anxious to fly. Jennifer Clifford, who worked for BA since 1983, developed severe stress and depression during the COVID-19 pandemic and was declared unfit for flying duties.
From Furlough to Fired
Clifford was put on furlough in April 2020. Though she was initially told she would be made redundant, that decision was revoked, and she was offered a cabin crew position—two ranks below her previous role as an inflight manager. Following her furlough, she began a period of sick leave in September 2021 for work-related stress and depression, her first sick leave in her long career with the company
Despite temporarily moving to a ground role, Clifford was still unable to return to flying by the end of 2022. During this time, a manager, Nigel Landy, reportedly told her she had “just a little bit of anxiety” and said, “if you don’t like working here then leave.”
Tribunal Finds British Airways at Fault
Clifford was ultimately fired in March 2023 for her inability to fly, but she sued the airline, arguing that they had discriminated against her. An employment tribunal upheld her claims of disability discrimination, failure to make reasonable adjustments, and unfair dismissal.
The tribunal ruled that BA should have taken her long service into account and considered a different, non-flying role for her before terminating her employment. The judge also concluded that the company failed to provide a suitable and longer phased return to work, which was needed to help her rebuild her confidence. The judge also criticized Landy’s comments, noting that he had “minimised her condition” and “dismissed how she was feeling.”
Clifford is now set to receive compensation.
