Moments of Resistance – Cecily Blyther
- kevinndaws
- Jun 25
- 3 min read
One of my UCU colleagues, Cecily Blyther was invited to give one of only three Moments of Resistance speeches at this year's TUC Disabled Workers Conference
You may recall that I have previously written about Reasonable Adjustments and what they are. Here is Cecily's experience of an employer failing to provide the necessary Reasonable Adjustments.
I’m Cecily Blyther, a lecturer in Further Education, supported by the University and College Union – UCU.
For the last four years, I have had more and more trouble with the way I was treated at work: with the ADHD I have grown up with – without knowing I had it; with the menopause, which I had only a very little idea about when I realised it was starting – 22 years ago; and with the resulting anxiety that came to a head after the pandemic.
It was difficult for me to define what support I could even benefit from, but basically, I needed my employer to treat me as a worker with the same rights as all other workers. So, I applied to Access to Work.
After a six-month wait … during which time I had been put on a final warning at work … I received a wonderfully comprehensive assessment report. This was also sent to my manager, who sent it straight to HR, who sent it straight to IT. Then … nothing.
Access to Work had asked that my employer implement the required adjustments within three months, so I was chasing my two line managers, then HR, then the IT manager … and still nothing.
Then, specifically as a result of having none of the new adjustments in place after two and a half months, I was unavoidably detained – supporting a fellow member –and I was two minutes late for a lesson. I was sacked the next week, and paid three months’ pay in lieu of notice.
I was so angry … that they thought they could get away without implementing any adjustments and then throwing me out like the piece of rubbish they made me feel like.
I was not going to be seen to accept this treatment. I am Chair at my branch, and I owed it to my fellow members to highlight the way the college has treated me and this was was a tremendous opportunity to demonstrate to my colleagues that we are stronger together.
I had a fight on my hands, but my union was behind me, I was determined either to have my job returned to me or to take my case to the Employment Tribunal.
However, first I had another fight on my hands – to have the five hours’ union work – per week – my college was not paying me while I was off work. This was because my union hours were paid “time on”. The person acting as Chair while I was off had to be paid – at her rate – for the work she was covering.
Our Branch Secretary made it clear to the members that we had an Acting Chair, because I was expected back!
Finally, I succeeded in obtaining an appeal just within the time-limit for applications to the Employment Tribunal. This time, with my wonderful rep, Morin Adesanwo, behind me, I was strong; my anger had in no way abated and it carried me through.
Of course, in the meeting with the Principal, I was able to outline just why the college should never have sacked me, when not even one of the reasonable adjustments recommended by Access to Work had been implemented.
Now, I am back at work! My final warning is suspended until it can be seen that my reasonable adjustments are working – I’m still having to push for some of them.
Now, however, I know that the college must support me according to the assessment it has accepted, and also – if my job or conditions change – then I just need to go back to Access to Work for an amendment.
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