A neurodivergent employee has been awarded more than £12,000 after an employment tribunal found she was subjected to disability harassment when her boss told her to “get back in your box”.
Sophie Stone, an events freelancer who is dyslexic and neurodivergent, successfully sued her employer, MA Business Limited, after a senior manager dismissed her request for a quiet “breakout area” at a work party. Stone said she had asked for the space because she feared becoming overwhelmed at the event. However, during a Microsoft Teams meeting, her boss, Julie Knox, the company’s events director, told her to stop “thinking outside the box” and to “get back in your box”.
Stone told the tribunal the remark was deeply distressing and amounted to ridicule of her neurodivergence. She said it left her feeling that she was being told to “mask” her condition and act neurotypical. “I consider this direct harassment,” Stone said. “Ridicule of my neurotype is completely unacceptable and I feel that my human right to be respected has been violated.”
The employment tribunal in Croydon accepted that Stone is dyslexic, diagnosed in 2004, and neurodivergent, and that she experiences rejection sensitivity dysphoria, a condition described by the NHS as an extreme emotional response to real or perceived criticism or rejection. The tribunal found that Knox did not intend to violate Stone’s dignity or create a hostile environment, but said the effect of her words still amounted to harassment.
In addition to disability harassment, Stone also succeeded in claims of failure to make reasonable adjustments, including a lack of support with software, and victimisation linked to a subsequent email. The tribunal awarded Stone a total of £12,000 in compensation.
